OF 


PARAGRAPH  HISTORY 


OF 


SIGMA  ALPHA  EPSILON 


THE    FOUNDING   OF   THE   FRATERNITY   TO 
THE    PRESENT  TIME 


CHRONOLOGICALLY   ARRANGED 


By  WILLIAM  C.  LEVERE 


EVANSTON,  ILL. 


PREFACE 

I  am  happy  to  be  able  to  give  the  fraternity 
a  book  which  will  be  useful  in  teaching  the 
members  some  of  the  important  events  in  our 
history. 

I  hope  no  one  will  expect  to  find  all  our 
history  here,  or  even  a  thorough  treatment  of 
some  of  the  subjects  which  are  presented. 
For  such  information  a  resort  must  be  made 
to  the  larger  three  volumed  work. 

This  little  book  is  simply  a  skeleton  of  Sigma 
Alpha  Epsilon  history,  all  the  flesh  for  which 
can  be  found  in  other  reading.  The  author 
has  been  compelled  to  pass  over  the  intimate 
doings  of  National  Conventions,  and  to  merely 
mention  in  some  instances  important  events, 
for  if  he  had  departed  from  this  rule,  as  he 
was  often  tempted  to  do,  this  book  would  not 
have  been  what  it  was  aimed  it  should  be,  A 
Paragraph  History  of  Sigma  Alpha  Epsilon. 

It  is  my  desire  that  this  book  shall  be  of 
especial  use  to  the  fine  young  men  just  coming 
into  the  fraternity.  They  will  be  eager  to 
learn  about  Sigma  Alpha  Epsilon.  My  regret 
is  that  I  have  not  been  able  to  preserve  the  fire 
and  glow  in  this  compact  volume  which  so 
possessed  the  men  who  have  preceded  this  day. 

I  hope  that  those  who  read  these  pages  to 
gain  their  first  .knowledge  of  Sigma  Alpha  Ep- 
silon, will  have  a  disposition  born  in  them  to 
go  on  to  the  large  work  and  there  learn  of  the 
deeds  of  'our',  earlier  mm. 

WILLIAM  C.  LEVERE, 

Evanston,  111.,  March  1,  1916. 


SIGMA  ALPHA  EPSILON 


Birth  of  Sigma  Alpha  Epsilon.  The  Sigma 
Alpha  Epsilon  fraternity  was  founded  on  the  ninth 
day  of  March,  1856,  at  the  University  of  Alabama, 
in  the  old  city  of  Tuscaloosa.  Eight  students  who 
had  become  hard  and  fast  friends  were  the  found- 
ers of  this  brotherly  society,  which  was  destined 
to  extend  to  the  furthermost  limits  of  the  country. 
Chief  of  the  eight  was  Noble  Leslie  De  Votie,  an 
Alabama  boy  by  birth,  who  was  a  youth  of  splen- 
did promise.  He  was  the  originator  of  the  frater- 
nity. He,  as  well  as  the  others,  had  formed  a 
warm  friendship  for  each  of  their  group,  and  it 
was  his  idea  that  a  fraternity  would  best  per- 
petuate the  tie.s  which,  as  their  college  days  drew 
to  a  close,  seemed  nearer  and  dearer  to  them  all. 
Along  the  banks  of  Black  Warrior  River  is  the 
edge  of  the  Tuscaloosa  campus,  and  in  the  fall 
days  of  1855,  as  these  companions  strolled  by  the 
river  side,  De  Votie  first  unfolded  his  conception 
of  a  new  fraternity.  The  thought  of  a  bond 
which  would  hold  them  together  for  all  time  was 
full  of  interest  to  them.  So  it  came  about  that  in 
the  late  hours  of  a  stormy  night,  the  friends  met 
in  the  old  southern  mansion  and  by  the  flicker  of 
dripping  candles  organized  Sigma  Alpha  Epsilon. 

The  Founders.  There  were  eight  of  the  friends. 
They  were  Noble  Leslie  De  Votie,  John  B.  Ru- 
dulph,  John  W.  Kerr,  Nathan  E.  Cockrell,  Wade 
Foster,  Abner  Patton,  Samuel  Dennis  and  Thomas 
C.  Cook.  The  last  of  these  named  was  not  present 
at  the  time  of  organization.  Cook  had  planned 
the  fraternity  with  the  others,  but  shortly  before 
it  was  organized  Jia^  withdrawn  from  the  Uni- 


4  PARAGRAPH  HISTORY 

yersity  of  Alabama  and  entered  Princeton.  At  the 
first  meeting  it  was  voted  that  no  one  should  be 
considered  a  member  of  the  fraternity  "except 
those  present."  This  was  afterwards  rescinded 
to  the  extent  of  voting  Cook  a  member,  and  send^ 
Ing  him  a  ritual  that  he  might  initiate  himself. 
He  has  always  been  considered  one  of  the 
founders. 

The  Preliminaries.  In  planning  for  Sigma  Alpha 
Epsilon  the  strictest  secrecy  was  observed.  Only 
eight  men  who  had  trod  the  campus  at  Tuscaloosa 
knew  that  such  a  movement  was  aroot,  and  these 
were  the  eight  men  directly  concerned.  John 
Kerr'B  home  was  in  Tuscaloosa,  and  the  prelimin- 
ary meetings  were  frequently  held  there,  but  no 
member  of  his  family  knew  what  it  meant,  though 
the  secret  councils  gave  rise  to  much  whispered 
speculation.  Sometimes,  when  the  meetings  to 
talk  the  project  over  were  held  elsewhere,  Kerr 
would  arm  himself  with  an  air  of  mystery  and  an 
old  Mexican  horse  pistol  that  Had  been  in  the 
family  ever  since  the  Mexican  War,  and  would 
quietly  steal  away  to  the  rendezvous.  No  suspi- 
cion of  what  was  afoot  roused  the  Greek  chapters 
from  their  lethargy;  and  if  the  men  who  were  in 
the  venture  were  seen  together  more  frequently 
than  usual,  it  was  attributed  to  tne  feeling  that  a 
company  of  fast  friends  were  aware  that  the  day 
that  would  rupture  their  union  was  close  at  hand. 
So  the  days  passed  until  March  came. 

The  First  Meeting.  The  ninth  of  March  meeting 
was  held  in  a  building  still  standing  in  Tuscaloosa, 
which  is  now  occupied  as  a  private  residence,  but 
which  for  many  years  was  called  the  Mansion 
House  and  previous  to  that  was  known  as  John- 
son's Schoolhouse.  Noble  De  Votie  presided  at 
the  first  meeting.  He  declared  that  they  had 
met  "for  the  purpose  of  organizing  a  fraternity  to 


OF  SIGMA  ALPHA  EPSILON  5 

be  called  Sigma  Alpha  Epsilon."  John  B.  Rudulph 
had  designed  the  badge  and  it  was  unanimously 
adopted  without  debate.  The  badge  has  come 
down  through  the  years  with  but  little  change. 
Abner  E.  Patton  was  elected  to  serve  as  president 
until  the  adoption  of  the  constitution.  An  odd 
provision  adopted  at  this  meeting  was  that  the 
chapter  could  not  have  a  membership  larger  than 
thirteen  per  cent  of  the  student  body. 

The  First  Constitution.  A  constitution  was  the 
^important  question  to  be  considered,  for  it  was 
'the  very  foundation  of  the  fraternity.  This  was 
so  because  under  the  term  "constitution"  were 
comprised  not  only  the  laws  to  govern  the  frater- 
nity, but  its  ritual.  This  remained  true  for  many 
years.  What  are  now  known  as  the  national  laws 
and  the  ritual  were  formerly  comprised  in  the 
word  "constitution."  In  the  minutes  of  the  first 
meeting  we  read  that  a  committee  of  three  was 
appointed  to  write  the  constitution.  We  already 
know  that  De  Votie  had  the  constitution  practi- 
cally completed  the  night  they  met  for  organiza- 
tion. The  action  providing  for  a  committee  to 
write  it  must  have  here  referred  to  its  form,  for 
we  have  Rudulph's  word  for  it  that  it  was  com- 
pleted at  the  time  of  the  first  meeting,  though 
not  adopted.  At  the  very  next  meeting,  one  week 
later,  it  was  read  and  adopted,  though  not  without 
being  amended.  Minerva,  the  Goddess  of  Wisdom, 
was  made  the  patron  of  the  fraternity. 

The  Topoi.  One  of  the  provisions  of  the  first 
constitution  required  each  member  of  the  frat- 
ernity to  choose  a  subject  on  which  he  must  write 
essays  throughout  his  college  course,  for  the 
literary  meetings  of  the  chapter  were  then  a 
prominent  feature  of  the  fraternity  work.  These 
subjects  were  known  as  degrees,  though  the  next 
year  they  changed  the  name  to  "topoi"  at  the 


6  PARAGRAPH  HISTORY 

suggestion  of  Noble  De  Votie,  who  wrote  the 
chapter  from  Princeton,  urging  the  change.  This 
system  of  literary  work  was  one  of  the  cardinal 
points  in  the  constitution,  and  its  observance  was 
rigidly  enforced  not  only  at  the  Mother  chapter, 
but  throughout  the  fraternity  as  it  extended  from 
college  to  college. 

The  Grand  Chapter.  The  first  system  of  govern- 
ment of  Sigma  Alpha  Epsilon  was  by  a  Grand 
Chapter.  Each  general  convention  choose  a  chap- 
ter to  administer  the  affairs  of  the  fraternity  until 
the  following  convention.  This  plan,  modified 
from  time  to  time,  remained  the  method  of  ad- 
ministration from  1856  to  1885. 

Mother  Mu.  The  first  chapter  of  the  fraternity 
adopted  for  its  chapter  name  Mu,  the  letter  stand- 
ing for  the  word  "Mother." 

A  Southern  Fraternity.  It  was  the  intention  of 
the  founders  to  confine  the  fraternity  to  the 
southern  states.  Yet  the  fraternity  was  not  a 
year  old  before  the  agitation  for  northern  exten- 
sion commenced,  an  agitation  which  was  to  con- 
tinue twenty-seven  years  before  it  achieved  its 
object. 

The  First  Pledge.  There  was  a  boy  of  rare 
promise  on  the  campus,  a  boy  eagerly  sought  after 
by  their  older  rivals.  His  name  was  Newton 
Nash  Clements.  Th\e  new  fraternity  rwas  as 
anxious  to  have  him  as  the  older  chapters,  but 
there  were  one  or  two  who  doubted  the  expediency 
of  inviting  him.  To  them  it  seemed  a  doubtful 
venture  to  tempt  fate  with  their  first  "bid."  They 
all  wanted  him.  They  all  realized  what  a  victory 
his  capture  would  be  to  Sigma  Alpha  Epsilon,  but 
could  they  get  him?  There  were  brave  spirits  in 
that  first  chapter,  who  were  not  afraid  to  cross 
swords  with  any  rival,  and  De  Votie,  Kerr,  and 
Rudulph  led  in  the  insistence  that  Clements  should 


OF  SIGMA  ALPHA  EPSILON  1 

be  given  the  opportunity  of  refusing  them.  It  was 
at  the  second  meeting  he  was  voted  through.  At 
their  third  meeting,  one  week  later,  he  was  in- 
itiated. It  was  the  first  battle  the  newcomers 
had  fought  with  other  Greeks,  and  they  had  won 
gloriously. 

The  Second  Meeting  elected  the  permanent  of- 
ficers of  the  fraternity.  John  W.  Kerr  was  elected 
president,  and  John  B.  Rudulph,  vice-president. 
The  secretaryship  was  given  to  Samuel  M.  Den- 
nis, the  treasury  was  placed  in  the  charge  of 
Abner  E.  Patton.  To  Noble  De  Votie  was  given 
the  position  of  corresponding  secretary,  the  most 
important  position  the  new  organization  had,  for 
the  place  then  meant  that  the  man  who  held  it 
was  extension  officer  of  the  order.  It  was  ordered 
that  Dr.  Garland,  the  president  of  the  university, 
should  be  officially  notified  of  the  presence  of 
the  new  fraternity,  and  the  meeting  then  ad- 
journed to  attend  the  first  Sigma  Alpha  Epsilon 
banquet.  The  spread  consisted  of  a  big  roast 
turkey,  with  plenty  of  hot  coffee  to  wash  it  down. 

Early  S.  A.  E.  Feasts.  When  the  meeting  of 
May  31,  1856,  was  over,  the  secretary  recorded 
that  the  "Members  returned  to  the  university 
where  they  feasted  their  physical  appetites  on  the 
fat  thighs  of  a  Shanghai  gobbler."  The  meetings 
of  the  first  months  of  the  fraternity  were  in- 
variably followed  by  a  "feed." 

The  Founders  and  the  'Possum.  Quite  often 
they  would  have  the  old  negro  who  provided  them 
secure  a  fine  roasted  'possum.  It  was  at  a  feast 
after  one  of  the  meetings  of  the  first  months  that 
Kerr  deigned  to  deliver  an  oration  over  the  re- 
mains of  a  'possum;  and  the  words  "remains"  is 
used  advisedly,  for  the  boys  had  stripped  it  to  the 
bones  and  were  feeling  exceedingly  comfortable 
therefor.  Kerr's  professor  in  zoology  had  that 


8  PARAGRAPH  HISTORY 

very  week  been  holding  forth  on  the  anatomy  of 
'possums  and  had  explained  how  they,  differing 
from  many  kindred  animals,  had  embricated  Jaws. 
"Fraters  of  Sigma  Alpha  Epsilon,"  began  Kerr, 
swelling  with  dignity,  amid  all  sorts  of  greetings 
and  salutations  from  his  fellows.  "Fraters  of 
Sigma  Alpha  Epsilon,  we  have  before  us  the  last 
sad  remains  of  a  marsupial  mammal.  It  differs 
from  many  of  the  familiar  animals  on  account  of 
its  embricated  jaws,"  and  as  he  delivered  his  re- 
cently gained  knowledge  with  a  flourish,  Kerr 
grandly  reached  for  the  skull  of  the  animal  and 
displayed  it  in  his  most  impressive  manner.  Sud- 
denly his  eyes  snapped  and  he  looked  closer;  his 
compatriots  followed  his  stare.  This  'possum,  at 
least,  had  no  embricated  jaws.  Further  investiga- 
tion followed,  to  be  ended  by  summoning  the 
cook.  At  first  he  temporized,  but  to  no  avail,  and 
so  at  last,  driven  to  a  corner,  he  confessed.  No 
'possum  had  been  obtainable  that  day,  and  be- 
lieving the  fraternity  boys  would  never  discover 
the  difference,  he  had  procured  a  fat  torn  cat  and 
had  served  it  to  them. 

Early  initiations.  The  victory  they  had  won 
in  capturing  Newton  Nash  Clements,  the  besought 
of  all  the  fraternities,  encouraged  them  greatly. 
He  was  initiated  at  the  meeting  of  March  22.  At 
the  meeting  of  April  26  James  Atwood  Bullock 
and  James  Forrest  Tarrant  were  taken  into  the 
brotherhood.  These  were  followed  on  the  3d  of 
May  by  James  D.  McLaughlin,  on  the  llth  of  May 
by  Thomas  Lucien  Moreland  Owen,  on  the  17th 
of  May  by  Jewett  Gindratt  De  Votie,  on  the  24th 
of  May  by  Robert  Kershaw  Wells  and  Gustavus 
Adolphus  Wynne,  and  on  the  12th  of  July  by 
Enoch  Parsons  Riley.  The  most  notable  of  these 
initiations  was  that  of  Jewett  G.  De  Votie.  The 
fact  that  he  was  a  brother  of  Noble  De  Votie, 
the  founder,  was  not  the  only  factor  that  con- 


OF  SIGMA  ALPHA  EPSILON  9 

tributed  to  the  importance  of  his  becoming  a  mem- 
ber of  Sigma  Alpha  Epsilon.  He  was  to  be  the 
founder  of  the  important  chapter,  Washington  City 
Rho,  which  during  the  days  of  the  Civil  War  was 
alone  to  survive  the  shock  of  battles. 

The  First  Badge.  The  color  of  the  enamel  of 
the  first  badge  was  Nazarene  blue.  All  of  the 
figures  were  in  gold  as  now,  and  Minerva  and  the 
lion  were  as  prominent  as  they  have  been  ever 
since.  The  gold  sides  were  beveled.  In  size  the 
first  badge  varied  greatly  from  today.  From  top 
to  bottom  the  length  of  the  badge  was  one  and 
one-half  inches.  Across  from  point  to  point  it  was 
fifteen-sixteenths  of  an  inch  in  width.  From  the 
top  point  to  the  side  point  it  measured  twenty-nine 
thirty-seconds  of  an  inch  in  length,  while  from  the 
side  point  to  the  bottom  point  it  was  seven-eighths 
of  an  inch  in  length.  It  was  about  one-eighth 
of  an  inch  in  thickness.  The  arrival  of  the  badges 
at  Tuscaltoosa  made  a  great}  sensation.*  Col. 
Rudulph  in  his  toast  at  the  fiftieth  anniversary 
banquet  at  Atlanta  described  it.  He  said  "Con- 
sternation reigned  in  the  other  Greek  societies. 
None  of  them  had  anything  like  this,  and  all  the 
girls  in  Tuscaloosa  went  wild  over  it.  They  were 
all  saying,  'what  a  cute  badge,'  and  for  a  few  days 
it  seemed  as  if  everybody  was  talking  about  the 
lady  making  the  lion  behave.  The  fact  is  we 
captured  the  girls  with  our  badges  at  once." 

A  General  Fraternity  Planned.  The  purpose  of 
the  founders  that  Sigma  Alpha  Epsilon  should  be- 
come a  general  fraternity  was  one  of  the  fore- 
most thoughts  of  the  workers  during  these  early 
months,  and  in  this  connection  an  important  step 
was  taken  at  the  third  meeting  held.  It  was  the 
adoption  of  a  motion  "that  those  members  of  the 
Sigma  Alpha  Epsilon  fraternity  who  may  have 
trustworthy  friends  in  other  colleges,  South,  have 


10  PARAGRAPH  HISTORY 

written  communication  with  them,  if  they  choose, 
for  the  purpose  of  organizing  chapters  of  the 
Sigma  Alpha  Epsilon  fraternity  in  their  respective 
institutions." 

De  Votle  and  Extension.  De  Votie  was  one  of 
the  strongest  advocates  of  extension,  and  so  fully 
did  he  believe  that  the  destiny  of  the  fraternity 
was  to  expand  that  at  the  first  meeting  in  May 
he  proposed  an  amendment  to  the  constitution  to 
govern  the  interrelations  of  chapters,  although 
at  that  time  no  other  chapters  existed.  This 
amendment,  which  was  adopted,  was  as  follows: 
"That  the  corresponding  secretary  of  each  chapter, 
immediately  on  entering  on  the  duties  of  his  of- 
fice, shall  write  to  the  corresponding  secretary  of 
the  Grand  Chapter,  giving  the  names  of  the  newly 
elected  officers  of  his  respective  chapter,  and 
other  news  of  interest.  The  chapters  shall  com- 
municate with  each  other  at  least  twice  during 
each  collegiate  year."  Thus  did  De  Votie,  the 
first  of  our  fraternity  statesmen,  combine  the  two 
not  antagonistic  principles  of  extension  and  in- 
ternal development  at  the  very  outset  of  the 
fraternity's  existence. 

A  DC  Votle  Prank.  Among  the  nappy  episodes 
of  De  Votie's  college  life  is  a  joke  he  played  on 
his  room-mate,  Jonas  Duckett  or  "Father  Rhodes" 
by  nickname.  The  room-mate  was  a  fine  student, 
innocent  as  a  girl  and  about  as  timid  as  one. 
De  Votie  persuaded  him  to  call  on  a  pretty  maiden 
who  received  and  treated  him  nicely.  Next  day 
De  Votie  and  his  fellow  conspirators  bought  a 
peck  of  sweet  potatoes,  and  hid  them  nicely  under 
"Father"  Rhodes'  bed.  That  night,  after  Rhodes 
had  settled  down  to  his  books,  and  was  wholly 
absorbed  in  them,  in  rushed  De  Votie  with  his 
crowd  in  fearful  consternation,  telling  Rhodes  it 
was  reported  that  the  potato-house  of  the  father 


OF  SIGMA  ALPHA  EPSILON  11 

of  the  young  lady  he  had  visited  the  night  before 
had  been  robbed,  and  that  that  worthy  gentle- 
man, violently  suspecting  students  of  the  theft, 
was  coming,  armed  with  search  warrants  and 
with  officers,  to  search;  and  followed  it  with  the 
apparently  frightened  question,  "Duckett,  have  we 
any  potatoes  in  our  rooms?"  Then,  without  wait- 
ing for  an  answer  from  Rhodes,  who  had  become 
nervous,  he  rushed  to  where  he  had  hidden  the 
potatoes,  dragged  them  out,  lifted  his  hands  in 
horror,  and  exclaimed,  "Who  would  have  thought 
it?"  What  can  we  do?"  Just  then  the  remainder 
of  the  plotters  who  had  climbed  the  stairs  to  the 
third  story  with  heavy  resolute  steps,  to  imitate 
official  tread,  rushed  in  and  joined  in  the  chorus, 
"Who  would  have  believed  this  of  Father  Rhodes?" 
Instantly  Rhodes  saw  the  prank,  and  still  half- 
terrified,  half  angry,  and  yet  laughing  despite  him- 
self, he  seized  a  poker,  chased  them  out,  down 
stairs,  and  into  the  darkness  that  covered  the 
campus. 

De  Votie  the  Scholar.  All  through  his  university 
course  De  Votie  brilliantly  maintained  his  intel- 
lectual supremacy.  His  grade  for  his  entire  course 
at  Alabama  was  96^.  He  was  graduated  as 
valedictorian  at  the  head  of  his  class  on  Julj 
18,  1856. 

University  of  Alabama  Abolished  Fraternities, 
by  a  vote  of  the  board  of  trustees  at  the  1856 
commencement.  It  was  eighteen  months  later 
before  the  Sigma  Alpha  Epsilon  chapter  was  dis- 
banded. 

President  Garland  Attacked  Fraternities,  charg- 
ing them  with  disorder,  clannishness  and  demoral- 
izing to  literary  work.  At  this  very  time  he  was 
graduating,  first  in  scholarship  and  superb  in  char- 
acter, a  young  man  who  was  the  leader  of  one 
of  these  four  societies,  while  the  rolls  of  all  the 


12  PARAGRAPH  HISTORY 

organizations  contained  the  names  of  young  men 
who  were  among  the  brightest  and  cleanest  of 
all  the  students.  It  simply  goes  to  show  how 
human  nature  can  be  stampeded  by  the  cry  of 
the  mob.  In  this  very  report  he  eulogized  in  the 
strongest  terms  Enoch  P.  Riley  as  the  highest  type 
of  student,  and  yet  Riley,  two  days  before,  had 
been  initiated  into  Sigma  Alpha  Epsilon. 

Lawlessness  Follows  Going  of  Fraternities  at 
Alabama.  In  the  immediate  years  which  followed 
the  abolition  of  fraternities  at  the  University  of 
Alabama,  the  institution  almost  collapsed  under 
the  lawlessness  which  existed.  The  public  prints 
of  the  state  were  full  of  the  lamentable  conditions. 
One  student  was  stabbed  to  death  in  a  college 
fight.  Hundreds  quit  the  institution  or  refused  to 
come  and  the  attendance  went  down  to  eighty- 
three.  To  stop  the  disintegration,  the  board  of 
trustees  of  1859  adopted  the  astonishing  standard 
of  twenty-five  per  cent  passing  grade  in  scholar- 
ship. 

Abner  Patton  was  elected  president  of  the  frat- 
ernity in  the  fall  of  1856.  He  was  the  only  one 
of  the  founders  in  college.  At  that  time  Alabama 
Mu  continued  to  be  the  only  chapter. 

S.  A.  E.  Faces  Extinction.  When  the  Univer- 
sity of  Alabama  began  its  college  year,  October  2, 
1856,  Sigma  Alpha  Epsilon  found  itself  face  to 
face  with  complete  destruction.  To  the  other 
Greeks  at  Tuscaloosa,  the  decree  of  the  trustees 
meant  the  loss  of  a  chapter.  To  Sigma  Alpha 
Epsilon  it  meant  the  death  of  the  whole  frater- 
nity. No  wonder  that  Patton  and  Jewett  De  Votie 
at  Tuscaloosa  and  Noble  De  Votie,  Thomas  Cook 
and  Samuel  Dennis,  who  were  at  Princeton,  were 
ardent  in  their  desires  to  see  the  fraternity  spread 
to  other  colleges. 

Alabama  Mu  Through  1856-1857.     Though  under 


OF  SIGMA  ALPHA  EPSILON  13 

a  ban  the  eleven  men  at  Tuscaloosa  held  weekly 
chapter  meetings  through  the  college  year  1856- 
57.  All  the  eleven  had  been  in  the  chapter  in  the 
previous  college  year,  although  Riley  was  not 
initiated  until  its  last  days.  The  chapter  passed 
through  this  year  without  a  single  initiation  until 
its  very  close.  It  was  far  from  the  ambitions  and 
hopes  of  the  chapter  that  this  should  be  so.  It 
was  that  offensive  ban  of  the  trustees  and  the 
dubious  future  that  restrained  them.  Of  the  eleven, 
ten  were  in  college;  the  eleventh  was  John  W. 
Kerr,  and  his  stay  with  them  was  only  for  part  of 
the  year.  While  with  them  he  served  as  corre- 
sponding secretary  of  the  chapter.  The  ten  col- 
lege mates  were  Abner  Patton,  Jewett  De  Votie, 
Newton  N.  Clements,  James  A.  Bullock,  James  D. 
McLaughlin,  T.  L.  M.  Owen,  James  P.  Tarrant, 
Robert  K.  Wells,  Gustavus  A.  Wynne,  Enoch  P. 
Riley.  As  the  ten  were  comrades  on  the  Alabama 
campus  they  were  destined  to  be  comrades  in  the 
Confederate  army  a  few  years  later,  and  of  the  ten 
young  soldier  boys,  seven  were  to  lose  their  lives 
in  that  service. 

Jewett  De  Votie  at  Alabama.  Jewett  De  Votie 
was  as  immeasurably  active  in  the  chapter,  as 
he  was  immeasurably  proud  that  his  brother  was 
the  founder  of  the  fraternity.  In  the  old  chapter 
records  the  name  of  De  Votie  is  quite  as  frequent 
during  the  second  year  as  it  was  the  first.  Mother 
Mu  was  a  good  training  school  for  Jewett,  and 
the  spirit  generated  there  together  with  the  ex- 
periences gained  was  to  stand  him  in  good  stead 
when  he  founded  Washington  City  Rho  later  in 
his  fraternity  life.  As  it  was  the  name  of  Noble 
De  Votie  which  appeared  first  in  the  old  minutes 
of  Mother  Mu,  so  it  was  to  be  the  name  of  Jewett 
De  Votie  which  should  appear  last  when  the 
chapter  "adjourned  to  meet  no  more." 


14  PARAGRAPH  HISTORY 

Literary  Work  at  Alabama  Mu.  Each  man  in 
the  chapter  was  held  sternly  to  his  literary  work 
in  the  ante-bellum  Alabama  Mu.  The  secretary's 
comments  were  sometimes  amusing.  It  appears 
that  at  the  meeting  of  November  22,  1856,  Brothers 
Owen  and  Riley  read  essays  which  according  to 
Secretary  Clements  "were  very  good  and  satisfac- 
torily written,"  but  that  Brother  Tarrant  failed 
to  produce  his.  His  excuse  was  that  he  had  not 
been  notified  of  his  appointment.  There  was  a 
lengthy  debate  as  to  whether  he  should  be  fined 
or  not.  Several  held  that,  as  it  was  announced 
at  the  previous  meeting  that  Tarrant  was  to  be 
on  the  program,  and  that,  although  he  was  not 
present,  it  was  his  duty  to  have  inquired.  Presi- 
dent Patton  decided  that  he  had  no  power  to  im- 
pose a  fine,  and  Tarrant  was  excused.  The  mem- 
bers immediately  proposed  an  amendment  to  the 
constitution,  giving  the  president  the  authority  to 
fine  delinquent  essayists.  At  the  meeting  two  weeks 
later  Wells,  Bullock  and  Wynne,  all  failed  to 
have  essays,  and  all  were  fined. 

Early  Chapter  Discipline.  It  is  not  the  least 
interesting  study  of  the  early  days  of  the  fraternity 
to  note  the  amusing  frequency  with  which  the 
punitive  right  was  used  at  the  slightest  infringe- 
ment of  order.  At  the  very  first  meeting,  after 
the  college  year  in  1856  opened,  Wynne  and  Riley 
were  "fined  for  putting  their  feet  on  the  rounds 
of  their  chairs."  Riley  had  been  initiated  at  the 
last  .meeting  of  the  year  before,  and  on  the  plea 
that  he  had  not  been  able  to  learn  of  the  rules  of 
conduct  at  the  chapter  meeting,  he  was  excused, 
but  Wynne  had  to  pay.  This  became  almost  a 
habit  with  him  before  the  year  was  passed,  for, 
excepting  Jewett  De  Votie,  he  was  the  most  fined 
man  in  the  chapter.  Jewett,  who  always  had  his 
feet  on  the  table,  or  was  late  for  meeting  because 
he  had  no  watch,  or  some  other  similar  reasons, 


OF  SIGMA  ALPHA  EPSILON  15 

was  fined  ten  times  during  the  college  year. 
Thomas  Lucien  Moreland  Owen  was  the  only 
man  who  was  not  fined,  and  we  cannot  help  re- 
flecting what  a  paragon  of  behavior  he  must  have 
been.  It  is  not  surprising  that  at  one  of  the 
meetings  during  the  year  the  treasurer  "made  a 
good  report,"  announcing  among  other  things  that 
"he  had  more  money  than  he  could  account  for." 

End  of  Second  College  Year.  The  chapter  held 
its  last  regular  meeting  for  the  college  year  on 
the  4th  of  July.  The  year  had  been  a  successful 
one  despite  the  drawbacks  of  opposition  on  the 
part  of  the  college  authorities.  Beginning  the 
year  with  Patton  as  president  of  the  chapter,  he 
had  been  succeeded  at  the  winter  term  by  James 
D.  McLaughlin.  In  March  McLaughlin  was  called 
away  from  college  for  a  while,  and  James  A.  Bul- 
lock was  elected  to  succeed  him.  Robert  K.  Wells 
was  elected  president  for  the  spring  term.  At  the 
final  meeting  of  the  year  T.  L.  M.  Owen  was 
elected  for  the  next  year.  A  special  meeting  of 
the  chapter  was  called  July  11,  1857,  and  J.  Hodges 
Golson,  who  had  been  pledged  tne  month  before, 
was  duly  initiated  into  Sigma  Alpha  Epsilon.  This 
happy  event  closed  for  the  fraternity  its  second 
college  year. 

The  Second  Chapter.  It  was  in  January,  1857, 
that  the  second  chapter  of  Sigma  Alpha  Epsilon 
was  established  with  the  University  of  Nashville 
as  its  domicile.  Joseph  Harris  Field  was  the 
prime  factor  in  gathering  his  companions  in  the 
military  department  of  the  university  to  form  Ten- 
nessee Nu.  There  were  only  four  of  them  beside 
Field,  the  others  being  John  S.  Lanier  from  his 
home  town  of  Columbia,  Miss.,  and  three  young 
Texans.  They  were  John  D.  Alexander,  Van  H. 
Manning  and  David  Butts.  Field  survived  to  be 
the  oldest  living  member  of  the  fraternity,  passing 
away  in  1915. 


16  PARAGRAPH  HISTORY 

The  Activity  of  Thomas  Cook.  De  Votle,  Cook 
and  Dennis  continued  active  for  the  fraternity  at 
Princeton,  and  through  the  efforts  of  Cook  nego- 
tiations were  commenced  in  the  fall  of  1856  with 
John  M.  Fleming  of  the  University  of  North  Caro- 
lina to  establish  a  chapter  there. 

De  Votie  and  Chapel  Hill.  Noble  De  Votie 
wrote  John  M.  Fleming  concerning  the  proposed 
chapter  at  the  University  of  North  Carolina,  say- 
ing: 

PRINCETON,  N.  J.  February  2nd,  1857. 
MB.  J.  M.  FLEMING. 

DEAR  SIR:  Mr.  Cook  requests  me  to  inform  you 
that  your  kind  favor  has  been  duly  received.  The 
petition  has  been  forwarded  to  the  Grand  Chapter, 
from  which  you  will  immediately  receive  a  copy 
of  the  constitution.  You  will  be  authorized  when 
it  reaches  you  to  open,  read,  sign  it,  and  then  at 
any  appointed  time  to  proceed  with  the  initiation 
of  your  friends.  Permit  us  to  tender  to  you  our 
warmest  regards  for  the  assistance  you  have  af- 
forded us  in  advancing  the  cause  at  Chapel  Hill, 
and  also  to  welcome  you  as  a  member  of  our  hon- 
ored fraternity.  After  you  organize  please  forward 
us  a  catalogue,  with  the  names  of  members  under- 
scored. You  will  have  to  determine  the  time  of 
your  meetings,  for  that  is  not  a  matter  prescribed 
by  the  constitution.  The  meetings  are  expected 
to  be  weekly.  Everything  about  correspondence 
and  other  duties,  you  will  find  laid  down  in  the 
constitution.  Excuse  this  hasty  note,  and  believe 
me,  your  obedient  servant. 

(Signed)     N.  L.  DE  VOTIE. 

North  Carolina  Xi  Established.  It  was  Feb- 
ruary 14,  1857,  that  the  mother  chapter  voted  to 
send  the  constitution  to  the  petitioners  at  the 
University  of  North  Carolina.  Fleming,  to  whom 
De  Votie  wrote  together  with  Thomas  Jarrett, 


OF  SIGMA  ALPHA  EPSILON  17 

Wiley  W.  Whitehead  and  Thaddeus  Belcher,  were 
the  charter  members.  This  was  the  third  chapter 
of  Sigma  Alpha  Epsilon. 

Early  Communication  Between  Chapters  was 
hindered  in  the  first  days  of  the  fraternity  be- 
cause neither  Sigma  Alpha  Epsilon  nor  any  other 
fraternity  had  established  a  magazine.  It  was  the 
rule  that  the  chapters  should  write  to  each  other 
regularly  and  this  was  a  duty  the  early  corre- 
spondents attended  to  religiously. 

National  Aspirations.  The  fraternity  scarcely 
found  itself  with  three  chapters,  when  the  young 
eagle  tried  to  spread  its  wings  for  loftier  flights. 
John  M.  Fleming  of  the  North  Carolina  chapter 
raised  the  question  of  Northern  Extension.  Cook 
wrote  him  from  Princeton  that  the  constant  agita- 
tion of  the  slavery  question  was  a  barrier  to  north- 
ern chapters,  as  it  would  preclude  the  possibility 
of  harmony.  The  mother  chapter,  which  at  this 
time  was  the  governing  body  of  the  fraternity  and 
was  known  as  the  Grand  Chapter,  voted  to  have 
a  general  convention  as  soon  as  there  were  eight 
chapters.  The  fraternity  adhered  to  this  plan. 

Early  Chapter  Nomenclature.  When  the  frat- 
ernity was  founded  nothing  was  thought  of  or 
heard  but  the  general  name  of  Sigma  Alpha  Ep- 
silon. The  second  chapter  had  no  sooner  been 
established  than  it  became  evident  that  some 
individual  chapter  name  must  be  adopted.  In  the 
absence  of  any  official  action  it  became  the  custom 
to  denominate  the  chapters  by  the  names  of  the 
towns  in  which  they  were  located.  This  was  un- 
satisfactory, and  it  was  one  of  the  tasks  to  devise 
some  system  of  nomenclature  which  should  carry 
out  the  Greek  idea,  embodied  in  the  national  name 
of  the  fraternity.  It  was  obviously  appropriate 
that  each  chapter  should  be  given  for  its  individual 
name  one  of  the  letters  of  the  Greek  alphabet. 


18  PARAGRAPH  HISTORY 

It  was  the  first  convention  that  christened  the 
chapter  at  the  University  of  Alabama  "Mu,"  and 
this  letter  was  chosen  because  "Mu  is  the  equi- 
valent of  the  initial  of  'Mother/  "  and  the  names 
which  were  given  the  other  chapters  are  chrono- 
logically almost  those  which  alternately  precede 
and  follow  Mu,  but  they  were  not  exactly  so. 

The  Murfreesboro  Chapter.  This  interesting 
chapter,  long  since  defunct,  is  generally  called  by 
the  name  above  which  it  first  bore  after  it  was 
established  as  the  fourth  chapter  of  the  fraternity 
at  old  Union  University  at  Murfreesboro,  Tenn. 
It  later  took  a  Greek  letter,  but  as  Tennessee  now 
has  another  chapter  bearing  that  name,  it  comes 
down  to  us  in  history  under  its  original  cognomen. 

The  Founder  of  Murfreesboro  Chapter  was  Henry 
P.  Halbert,  who  had  been  a  student  at  the  Univer- 
sity of  Nashville.  At  Nashville  he  refused  to 
apologize  for  signing  a  paper  criticising  the  fac- 
ulty for,  as  he  believed,  unjustly  disciplining  a 
fellow  student.  He  was  dismissed  and  entered 
Union  University.  Through  his  knowledge  of 
Sigma  Alpha  Epsilon  at  Nashville,  he  persuaded 
four  Union  students  to  petition  for  a  charter.  It 
was  granted  July  4,  1857,  but  the  chapter  was  not 
installed  until  September,  for  in  the  meantime  an 
insane  theological  student  killed  one  of  the  peti- 
tioners and  severely  wounded  a  second. 

Virginia  Kappa  Founded.  Thaddeus  Forniss  en- 
tered William  and  Mary  College  at  Williamsburg, 
Va.,  in  the  fall  of  1857,  coming  there  from  the 
University  of  Alabama.  Together  with  several 
friends,  he  petitioned  the  Grand  Chapter  at  Tusca- 
loosa  for  a  chapter.  It  was  granted  December  12, 
1857. 

A  Virginia  Kappa  Hero.  Robert  C.  Atkinson 
was  one  of  the  early  members  of  Virginia  Kappa. 
He  became  the  hero  of  the  chapter  for  a  while 


OF  SIGMA  ALPHA  EPSILON  19 

as  the  result  of  a  personal  encounter  he  had  with 
Garrett,  a  fellow  student  and  member  of  a  rival 
society,  known  as  the  E.  A.  Letters  intended  for 
S.  A.  E.  had  fallen  into  the  hands  of  the  members 
of  the  E.  A.,  and  had  been  opened  by  them,  un- 
doubtedly through  mistake.  Atkinson  wrote  Gar- 
rett acknowledging  the  receipt  of  one  of  these 
opened  letters,  and  requested  him  to  be  more 
careful  in  the  future  regarding  the  letters,  mean- 
ing by  this  to  refer  to  the  similarity  of  the  letters, 
"S.  A.  E."  and  "E.  A."  Garrett  believed  that  Atkin- 
son meant  to  say  that  the  members  of  his  society 
were  making  common  property  of  the  correspond- 
ence, and  the  next  time  he  met  Atkinson  he  at- 
tacked him.  Atkinson  was  quick  to  meet  him  on  his 
own  ground  and  in  a  few  minutes  Garrett  found 
himself  on  his  back  with  the  valiant  S.  A.  E. 
astride  him.  His  face  was  adorned  with  a  black 
eye,  whose  purple  tinge  was  so  vivid  that  it  be- 
came a  nine  days'  wonder  and  was  referred  to 
everywhere  on  the  campus  as  "Garrett's  S.  A.  E. 
badge." 

End  of  Virginia  Kappa.  The  Williamsburg 
chapter  was  one  of  the  ante-bellum  chapters  des- 
tined to  be  killed  by  the  civil  war.  Upon  its  cam- 
pus, battles  were  fought  and  its  first  member, 
Forniss,  was  killed  at  Malvern  Hill.  It  was  a 
greatly  beloved  chapter  during  its  lifetime  and 
was  the  last  Grand  Chapter  before  the  civil  war. 

Georgia  Pi  is  Founded.  There  is  an  uncertainty 
whether  Georgia  Pi  was  organized  February  23, 
1857,  or  a  year  later,  but  the  probability  is  1857.  It 
was  situated  at  the  Georgia  Military  Institute.  It  is 
famous  in  S.  A.  E.  history  as  "the  chapter  that 
went  to  war."  Its  men  left  its  college  halls  for- 
ever when  in  the  dark  hours  of  a  May  night,  the 
long  roll  of  the  drum  was  sounded  through  the 
dormitories.  The  cadets  went  from  their  beds 


20  PARAGRAPH  HISTORY 

to  the  scene  of  action.  The  chapter  continued  Its 
life  in  the  camps  of  the  army,  and  at  Resaca  won 
great  glory.  Their  major  said  of  them,  "Those 
boys  go  into  battle  as  if  they  were  going  into  a 
ball  room." 

War  Record  of  Georgia  Pi.  The  sons  of  Georgia 
Pi,  like  the  members  of  our  other  chapters  at  the 
outbreak  of  the  civil  war,  were  Southern  boys,  and 
naturally  enlisted  in  the  Confederate  Army. 
Georgia  Pi  furnished  to  the  army  from  the  forty- 
one  men  it  had  initiated,  one  brigadier-general- 
two  colonels,  four  majors,  sixteen  captains,  nine 
lieutenants,  or  a  total  of  thirty-two  commissioned 
officers. 

S.  A.  E.  Enters  the  University  of  Virginia.  Sig- 
ma Alpha  Epsilon  almost  from  the  day  of  its  in- 
ception turned  longing  eyes  to  the  University  of 
Virginia.  It  was  the  great  institution  of  the 
South,  and  the  members  of  the  fraternity  felt  that 
the  chapter  roll  would  be  incomplete  until  the 
name  of  the  Charlottesville  school  was  on  its 
roster.  Thomas  C.  Cook,  in  a  letter  to  John  M. 
Fleming  early  in  1857,  had  voiced  this  aspiration 
of  the  fraternity.  The  members  of  the  new  chap- 
ter at  Williamsburg  were  anxious  for  a  sister 
chapter  in  Virginia,  and  immediately  after  their 
own  chapter  was  established  they  urged  an  imme- 
diate entrance  into  the  state  university.  The 
wisdom  of  this  was  recognized  so  generally  that, 
without  opposition,  the  new  chapter  was  launched 
Feb.  16,  1858,  and  Omicron  chapter  became  a 
living  reality.  The  chapter  was  composed  of 
young  Virginians,  and  they  possessed  all  the  high 
spirits  and  pride  for  which  the  scions  of  the  old 
Dominion  are  noted. 

First  Men  at  Virginia.  Among  the  leaders  of 
Virginia  Omicron  was  brilliant  Junius  French. 
His  friends  told  of  an  incident  when  he  was  a 


OF  SIGMA  ALPHA  EPSILON  21 

small  boy.  Junius  held  in  his  fingers  a  small  tin 
cup,  an  older  brother  used  as  a  target  at  which  to 
fire  a  revolver.  Another  chapter  leader  was  El- 
liott Healy  of  distinguished  family  and  great 
manly  beauty.  A  few  years  later  at  the  second 
battle  of  Bull  Run  he  led  his  company  in  the  final 
charge,  crying,  "Come  on,  boys.  Victory  once  more 
on  the  plains  of  Manassas."  A  moment  later  he 
was  killed.  Young  and  dignified  Benjamin  Gar- 
lington  was  among  the  charter  members.  Four 
years  later,  after  the  battle  of  Savage  Station,  his 
commander  found  him  still  in  death,  lying  per- 
fectly straight,  his  arms  crossed  and  his  sword 
standing  with  the  point  in  the  ground  by  his  side. 

Affiliates  of  Virginia  Omicron.  From  the  first 
Virginia  Omicron  has  been  a  chapter  which  has 
had  many  affiliates  from  other  chapters.  Forniss  of 
Virginia  Kappa  was  one  of  these.  William  L.  Wil- 
son, years  afterward  a  cabinet  minister  of  Presi- 
dent Cleveland,  came  later.  James  H.  Judkins 
came  from  the  mother  chapter,  and  affiliated  in 
the  fall  of  1858.  He  did  not  know  there  was  a 
chapter  at  Virginia  until  Henry  Martyn  Neblett 
stopped  him  on  the  streets  of  Charlottesville  and 
pointing  to  the  S.  A.  E.  badge  Judkins  proudly 
wore,  demanded,  "Where  did  you  get  that?"  When 
Neblett  was  satisfied  that  Judkins  was  an  S.  A.  E. 
he  told  him  of  the  chapter,  and  that  night  took 
him  to  the  chapter  meeting. 

Mother  Chapter  Disbands.  It  was  January  9, 
1858,  that  the  ante-bellum  mother  chapter  met  at 
Tuscaloosa  for  the  last  time.  The  edict  of  the 
university  trustees  had  proved  all-powerful  and 
Sigma  Alpha  Epsilon  was  to  disappear  from  the 
Alabama  campus  for  many  years.  It  was  ar- 
ranged that  as  the  title  of  Grand  Chapter  was  still 
held  at  Tuscaloosa  that  the  business  of  the  fra- 
ternity should  be  transacted  through  the  corre- 


22  PARAGRAPH  HISTORY 

spending  secretary,  who  was  none  other  than 
Newton  Clements,  the  first  initiate  of  the  eight 
founders.  Jewett  De  Votie  moved  to  burn  all 
essays  and  papers  in  the  hall.  Then  Robert  K. 
Wells  wrote  the  mournful  words,  "We  adjourned 
to  meet  no  more." 

Texas  Theta  Chartered.  Texas  Theta  was  in- 
stalled at  Baylor  University  soon  after  the  open- 
ing of  the  college  year  in  the  fall  of  1858.  Timo- 
thy Dunklin,  the  founder,  lost  his  life  at  the  sec- 
ond battle  of  Bull  Run.  The  chapter  was  killed 
by  the  war.  It  has  never  been  revived. 

Planning  the  Eighth  Chapter.  John  M.  Pendle- 
ton,  of  the  Murfreesboro  chapter,  had  a  cousin 
who,  in  1858,  was  a  senior  in  Bethel  College,  in 
Russellville,  Kentucky.  Virgil  A.  Garnett  was  the 
name  of  the  cousin.  The  two  boys  had  spent  the 
spring  vacation  together  at  Pembroke,  the  home 
of  Garnett,  and  his  Tennessee  cousin  had  some 
wonderful  stories  to  tell  him  about  Sigma  Alpha 
Epsilon,  which  he  had  joined  at  Union  University. 
The  enthusiasm  of  young  Pendleton  was  conta- 
gious, and  when  Garnett  returned  to  Bethel  College 
it  was  with  the  determination  to  get  a  number  of 
his  friends  together  and  start  a  chapter  of  this 
"society,"  as  it  was  the  custom  in  those  days  to 
denominate  the  fraternity. 

Birth  of  Kentucky  lota.  Virgil  Garnett  pledged 
ten  men  at  Bethel  College  at  Russellville,  and  in 
April,  1858,  received  a  charter  from  the  members 
at  Tuscaloosa  who  were  carrying  on  the  work  of 
the  general  fraternity.  With  the  installation  of 
this  chapter,  the  promise  that  a  general  conven- 
tion would  be  held  when  the  fraternity  had  eight 
chapters  was  ready  to  be  fulfilled. 

First  National  Convention.  The  first  general 
convention  of  Sigma  Alpha  Epsilon  was  held  at 
Murfreesboro,  Tenn.,  August  6,  1858,  at  the  Lytle 


OF  SIGMA  ALPHA  EPSILON  23 

Hotel  under  the  auspices  of  the  Murfreesboro 
chapter  at  Union  University.  The  University  of 
Alabama,  University  of  North  Carolina,  Union 
University  and  Georgia  Military  Institute  were 
represented  by  delegates.  The  other  four  chap- 
ters sent  no  representatives. 

Delegates  to  First  Convention.  When  the  roll 
was  called  at  the  first  convention  it  was  found 
that  Newton  Nash  Clements  had  come  from  Tusca- 
loosa  to  represent  the  Grand  Chapter.  The  Chapel 
Hill  chapter  had  sent  Vernon  H.  Vaughan,  who, 
like  Clements,  was  an  initiate  of  the  mother  chap- 
ter, but  had  affiliated  at  the  University  of  North 
Carolina,  where  he  had  become  one  of  the  most 
prominent  members  of  that  chapter.  John  S. 
Lanier,  whom  we  have  already  met  at  the  Uni- 
versity of  Nashville  and  Georgia  Military  Institute, 
came  to  represent  the  latter  chapter,  while  the 
chapter  at  Murfreesboro  had  selected  Josephus 
G.  Westbrooke,  of  the  Jovelike  face,  as  its  del- 
egate. 

Designs  on  the  Tressel  Board.  The  first  con- 
vention had  many  things  to  consider.  The  nam- 
ing of  chapters  after  the  town  where  they  were 
located  was  unsatisfactory.  The  necessity  for  a 
fraternity  catalogue  was  understood,  and  prepara- 
tions for  the  publication  of  one  must  be  made. 
There  were  revisions  and  amendments  to  the  con- 
stitution to  be  made,  and  those  young  minds  that 
are  always  anxious  to  tinker  with  the  fundamen- 
tals of  the  fraternity  had  been  agitating  changes 
in  the  badge.  A  decision  about  future  conven- 
tions must  be  arrived  at — their  frequency  and  the 
place  of  the  next  one.  The  selection  of  a  Grand 
Chapter  was  one  of  the  most  important  features 
to  be  considered. 

Extension  at  the  First  Convention.  The  im- 
portant question  before  the  first  convention  was 


24  PARAGRAPH  HISTORY 

the  spread  of  the  order,  for  it  was  realized  that 
the  northern  fraternities  were  coming  into  the 
South  rapidly,  and  it  was  necessary  for  the  first 
fraternity  established  in  the  South  to  be  able  to 
meet  them  on  its  own  ground.  Within  a  half- 
dozen  years  nearly  forty  chapters  of  northern 
Greeks  had  been  established  in  southern  institu- 
tions, and  the  outlook  was  that  the  flood  had  but 
just  begun.  Delta  Kappa  Epsilon,  Phi  Gamma 
Delta,  Beta  Theta  Pi,  Phi  Kappa  Psi  and  Phi 
Kappa  Sigma  had  been  especially  active  in  estab- 
lishing southern  chapters,  and  the  delegates  to 
the  Murfreesboro  convention  were  fully  alive  to 
the  fact  that  they  must  be  up  and  doing,  if  the 
fraternity  was  to  do  its  share  of  the  tilling  of  the 
virgin  soil  of  the  southern  colleges.  There  was 
another  phrase  of  this  extension  question  with 
which  they  must  deal,  for  already  the  cry  had 
gone  up  for  northern  extension.  There  were  those 
who  were  eager  to  test  the  steel  of  the  new  claim- 
ant for  Greek  honors  with  the  strongly  intrenched 
Greeks  to  the  north.  Even  the  mother  chapter, 
with  its  prejudices  of  section  so  strongly  ingrained 
from  its  birth,  had  been  forced  to  yield  to  the 
importunities  of  the  Nashville  chapter  in  this 
direction,  and  grudgingly  to  instruct  its  secretary 
to  give  the  "reasons  for  retaining  our  society  in 
the  southern  states"  and  to  instruct  the  secretary 
to  say  to  the  Nashville  chapter  "that  a  conven- 
tion will  be  held  next  summer,  and  if  at  that  con- 
vention the  majority  of  the  delegates  shall  deter- 
mine to  extend  the  society  to  the  northern  states, 
we  will  abide  by  that  decision. 

Work  at  the  First  Convention.  The  presiding 
officer  at  the  first  convention  was  Newton  Clem- 
ents, who  as  corresponding  secretary  of  the  Tus- 
caloosa  group,  was  the  real  administrative  officer 
of  the  fraternity.  The  publication  of  the  first 
catalogue  was  placed  in  charge  of  North  Carolina 


OF  SIGMA  ALPHA  EPSILON  25 

Xi.  The  general  conventions  were  to  be  held  an- 
nually. The  city  of  Columbia,  S.  C.,  was  selected 
for  the  second  general  convention.  Several 
amendments  to  the  constitution  were  adopted. 
The  question  of  northern  extension  was  post- 
poned a  year.  The  question  of  more  chapters  wag 
vigorously  debated  and  unanimously  approved. 
Provision  for  a  chapter  diploma  or  shingle  was 
made,  though  not  subsequently  carried  out.  The 
chapters  were  given  Greek  letters  for  names. 

Chapter  Names.  Immediately  after  the  Mur- 
freesboro  convention  the  chapters  commenced  to 
use  the  Greek  letters  for  their  names  and  found 
it  a  great  convenience.  It  was  the  purpose  that 
the  chapters  should  take  the  Greek  letters  follow- 
ing and  preceding  Mu  in  order,  although  they  did 
not  exactly  do  this.  Under  the  new  order  of  things 
Alabama  chapter  became  "Mu";  the  Nashville  chap- 
ter became  "Nu";  the  Chapel  Hill  chapter  became 
"Xi";  the  Murfreesboro  chapter  became  "Lamb- 
da"; the  Williamsburg  chapter  became  "Kappa"; 
the  Charlottesville  chapter  became  "Omicron"; 
the  Russellville  chapter  became  "Iota";  the  Mari- 
etta chapter  became  "Pi";  the  Waco  chapter  be- 
came "Theta."  If  the  order  had  been  followed 
as  designed,  the  Chapel  Hill  chapter  would  have 
been  "Lambda"  and  several  others  would  have 
been  given  a  different  sequence. 

The  Grand  Chapter.  The  Murfreesboro  conven- 
tion elected  North  Carolina  Xi  Grand  Chapter  of 
the  fraternity.  From  first  to  last  the  fraternity 
had  7  Grand  Chapters.  Their  names  and  periods  of 
service  were:  Alabama  Mu,  1856-58;  North  Caro 
lina  Xi,  1858-60;  Virginia  Kappa,  1860-61;  Virginia 
Omicron,  1867-69;  Georgia  Beta,  1869-76;  Kentucky 
Chi,  1877-83;  Tennessee  Omega,  1883-85.  During 
the  civil  war  years  there  were  no  general  meet- 
ings and  no  Grand  Chapter  was  elected.  As  the 


26  PARAGRAPH  HISTORY 

war  went  on  the  chapters  gradually  disappeared 
until  Washington  City  Rho  was  the  only  one  to 
emerge  from  the  clouds  of  that  conflict.  The 
Grand  Chapter  system  disappeared  from  the  fra- 
ternity in  1885. 

Washington  City  Rho.  Jewett  De  Yotie  entered 
the  old  Columbian  College,  now  George  Washing- 
ton University,  in  Washington^  in  September, 
1858.  In  November  he  established  Washington 
City  Rho,  "the  chapter  which  lived  through  the 
war."  Several  of  its  charter  members  attained 
prominence,  one  of  them  being  United  States  Sen- 
ator W.  A.  Harris. 

European  Extension.  There  is  a  tradition  In 
Sigma  Alpha  Epsilon  that  had  its  rise  in  the  year 
of  1859,  a  tradition  veiled  in  the  hazy  mist  of  years 
long  past.  In  truth,  among  the  younger  members 
of  the  fraternity  there  is  almost  no  knowledge  of 
the  legend,  for  it  is  doubtful  that  one  in  a  hundred 
of  them  ever  heard  of  it.  But  meet  some  old 
fellow  who  was  in  college  before  the  war  and 
who  has  been  out  of  touch  with  the  fraternity  for 
years,  and  almost  the  first  question  he  will  ask 
you  will  be  about  "the  chapter  in  Europe.  Was 
it  ever  established?  What  became  of  it?"  It  ap- 
pears that  one  of  the  brothers  of  that  early  day 
went  to  Europe  to  study.  The  university  most 
frequently  mentioned  is  Heidelberg.  The  enthu- 
siasts of  that  time  set  up  the  cry  that  he  must  estab- 
lish a  chapter  across  the  water,  and  from  the  in- 
terest among  the  old  fellows  that  has  come  per- 
colating through  the  years  down  to  the  present, 
it  is  evident  there  must  have  been  a  deep  feeling 
about  European  extension.  For  some  reason  it 
never  came  about,  but  the  memory  of  it  has  never 
died  among  the  fraters  of  half  a  century  ago. 

Georgia  Eta  Founded.  Georgia  Eta  of  Ogle- 
thorpe  University  was  established  January  23, 


OF  SIGMA  ALPHA  EPSILON  27 

1859,  and  is  another  of  the  ante-bellum  chapters 
which  disappeared  'mid  the  strife  of  civil  war. 
Like  in  Georgia  Pi,  every  member  of  the  chapter 
went  to  war.  Grigsby  Thomas,  who  founded  the 
chapter,  came  from  Columbus,  Ga.,  which  at  that 
time  was  the  home  of  the  De  Voties.  Through 
them,  partly,  but  through  James  A.  Cody,  a  North 
Carolina  Xi,  especially,  Thomas  was  induced  to 
form  the  chapter. 

A  General  Convention  in  1860.  The  convention 
called  for  1859  at  Columbia,  S.  C.,  was  not  held, 
as  only  the  general  secretary  appeared  there.  The 
Columbus,  Ga.,  gathering  of  1860  was  for  the 
purpose  of  considering  constitutional  amendments. 
The  general  convention  held  that  year  was  at 
Nashville  and  was  the  last  convention  before  the 
war.  The  social  side  of  the  convention  was  em- 
phasized. Thirty  delegates  were  in  attendance. 
James  H.  Shorter,  who  represented  Georgia  Pi,  has 
said,  "I  remember  what  a  bright,  alert  and  genial 
set  of  young  fellows  composed  it." 

The  First  Catalogue  was  issued  by  North  Caro- 
lina Xi  in  1859.  It  had  nineteen  pages  bound  in  a 
purple  paper  cover.  It  gave  the  names  of  the  ten 
chapters  and  the  hundred  and  sixty-five  members. 

Four  New  Chapters  in  1860.  Tennessee  Lambda, 
Virginia  Upsilon,  Kentucky  Chi  and  Louisiana  Tau 
were  established  in  1860.  Tennessee  Lambda, 
whose  domicile  is  Cumberland  University,  has 
come  down  through  the  years  giving  to  the  fra- 
ternity in  its  progress  many  illustrious  sons.  Vir- 
ginia Upsilon  at  Hampden-Sidney  College,  and 
Louisiana  Tau  at  Centenary  College  were  two 
more  chapters  to  be  killed  by  the  war.  Ten- 
nessee Lambda  was  the  result  of  ten  S.  A.  E.'s 
from  various  chapters  entering  Cumberland  in 
the  fall  of  1860,  and  as  nearly  every  man  had 
been  a  leader  in  his  chapter,  it  did  not  take  them 


28  PARAGRAPH  HISTORY 

long  to  organize  a  new  chapter.  Kentucky  Chi, 
which  was  founded  in  the  last  days  of  1860  at 
Kentucky  Military  Institute,  was  a  chapter  which 
was  to  fill  a  great  place  in  the  fraternity. 

Early  Days  of  Kentucky  Chi.  Charles  Shorter, 
an  S.  A.  E.  from  North  Carolina  Xi,  entered  the 
Kentucky  Military  Institute  in  1860.  He  wrote  to 
the  Chapel  Hill  chapter  and  receiving  the  proper 
documents  organized  Kentucky  Chi.  Within  a  few 
months  the  war  came  and  every  member  of  the 
chapter  enlisted. 

A  Woman  S.  A.  E.  When  the  Kentucky  Chi 
men  left  for  the  war,  they  left  the  secret  work  and 
effects  of  the  fraternity  in  charge  of  Miss  Lucy 
Patty,  who  was  a  popular  "college  widow."  She 
took  great  care  of  her  trust  and  when  the  war 
was  over  and  the  chapter  re-instituted,  Miss  Patty 
was  made  a  member  by  the  chapter  to  show  their 
appreciation  of  her  good  work. 

The  Civil  War  and  S.  A.  E.  Sigma  Alpha  Bp- 
silon  was  born,  grew  and  thrived,  and  five  years 
passed.  Then  the  civil  war  came,  days  of  iron 
and  blood,  and  into  that  war  the  fraternity  went, 
and  there  was  not  a  battlefield  in  all  the  republic 
where  some  bright-faced,  courageous  youth  who 
wore  its  badge  did  not  perform  deeds  worthy  of 
men  of  steel.  It  might  well  be  said  that  into  the 
conflict  the  entire  fraternity  went,  for  the  per- 
centage of  men  who  did  not  go  was  so  small  that 
there  was  scarce  a  boy  who  had  donned  the  purple 
but  now  wore  the  gray  or  blue.  We  write  gray 
first  because  most  of  Sigma  Alpha  Epsilon  en- 
listed in  the  Confederate  army.  This  was  natural, 
for  every  chapter  of  the  fraternity  was  in  the 
South,  with  the  possible  exception  of  Washington 
City  Rho,  and  even  Washington  was  accounted  a 
southern  city  in  those  days,  certainly  in  atmos- 
phere if  not  geographically.  And  so  it  came  about 


OF  SIGMA  ALPHA  EPSILON  29 

that  of  all  the  college  fraternities,  Sigma  Alpha 
Epsilon  was  the  one  that  sent  the  largest  per- 
centage of  its  members  into  the  civil  war. 

Alabama  Mu  in  the  War.  The  record  of  the 
Mother  Chapter  in  the  war  was  remarkable.  Of  the 
eight  founders,  one  was  dead  when  the  war  came 
on.  Six  of  the  seven  living  founders  enlisted  in 
the  Confederate  Army.  Three  of  the  six  died  in 
the  service,  De  Votie  while  on  duty,  Patton  on 
the  battlefield,  and  Dennis  while  in  a  Federal 
prison.  Nobie  Leslie  De  Votie,  the  chief  founder, 
will  be  marked  for  all  time  as  the  first  man  to 
lose  his  life  in  the  civil  war.  The  mother  chapter 
initiated  fourteen  men,  in  addition  to  the  founders. 
Every  one  of  them  served  in  the  war.  Rudulph, 
Clements,  Hall  and  Golson  became  colonels.  Ten 
of  these  nineteen  men  were  killed  in  the  war. 

S.  A.  E.  in  the  Union  Army.  Although  when  the 
civil  war  came  Sigma  Alpha  Epsilon  was  a  south 
era  fraternity,  there  were  seven  of  its  members 
who  joined  the  Union  Army.  Washington  City 
Rho  and  Kentucky  Iota  contributed  men  to  both 
armies.  Daniel  D.  Johnson  and  Edwin  A.  Cran- 
dall  of  Washington  City  Rho  became  colonel  and 
major  respectively  in  the  Union  Army. 

S.  A.  E.'s  War  Record.  The  record  that  the 
fraternity  made  in  the  war  is  altogether  honora- 
ble; the  places  of  high  position  won  are  nothing 
less  than  astonishing  when  the  number  of  such 
honors  is  contrasted  with  the  number  of  men  in 
the  fraternity.  George  Paul  Harrison  and  George 
W.  Gordon  were  brigadier-generals  in  the  Con- 
federate army.  General  Kirby-Smith,  to  be  so 
beloved  by  the  boys  of  Tennessee  Omega,  was  full 
major-general  in  the  C.  S.  A.  There  were  seven 
adjutant-generals:  James  N.  Gilmer,  William  A. 
Harris,  John  S.  Lanier,  Henry  Jackson,  George  M. 
Blount,  Wayland  F.  Dunaway  and  Adolphus  C. 


30  PARAGRAPH  HISTORY 

Powell.  Joseph  Harris  Field  was  an  inspector- 
general.  Newton  Nash  Clements,  the  first  initiate 
of  the  founders,  was  colonel  of  the  50th  Alabama, 
C.  S.  A.  He  was  only  one  of  eighteen  colonels 
who  came  from  S.  A.  E.  chapters.  There  were  four 
lieutenant-colonels.  There  were  thirteen  who  be- 
came majors.  Of  captains  there  were  fifty;  of 
lieutenants  thirty.  There  were  twelve  adjutants, 
and  non-commissioned  officers  by  the  score.  The 
founder  of  every  chapter  the  fraternity  had  before 
the  civil  war  was  a  soldier.  Over  sixty  S.  A.  E.'s 
made  the  supreme  sacrifice,  and  gave  their  lives 
for  the  cause  for  which  they  fought. 

Regenesis  of  the  Fraternity.  The  war  over, 
Sigma  Alpha  Epsilon  began  to  take  account  of 
herself.  All  through  the  southland  were  the 
wrecks  of  the  colleges  where  her  chapters  had 
so  proudly  held  up  their  heads.  The  military 
chapter  of  Pi  had  been  the  last  to  die,  disbanding 
with  the  army  in  May  of  1865.  Yonder  in  Wash- 
ington city,  old  Rho  still  lived,  the  only  one  of  the 
bright  band  of  the  ante-bellum  days.  But  if  all 
the  chapters  of  Sigma  Alpha  Epsilon  save  one 
were  dead,  neither  her  sons  nor  the  spirit  of  the 
fraternity  had  passed  away.  Crippled  as  they 
were,  their  buildings  burned,  their  resources  gone, 
the  southern  colleges,  with  a  courage  equal  to  that 
which  their  faculties  and  students  had  shown  on 
the  battlefield,  opened  their  doors,  and  the  fac- 
ulties resumed  their  duties,  the  students  their 
books.  Among  the  students  were  many  S.  A.  E.'s 
who  four  years  ago  as  beardless  boys  had  taken 
up  arms,  now  as  mature  men,  scarred  and  hard- 
ened by  endless  adventures,  put  aside  their 
weapons  and  took  up  their  books.  It  was  to  the 
collegians  returning  from  the  battlefields  that  the 
task  of  revivifying  the  fraternity  fell. 

Virginia  Omicron  Revived.     In  the  fall  of  1865, 


OF  SIGMA  ALPHA  EPSILON  31 

John  Bagby,  Washington  City  Rho,  and  Robert 
Atkinson,  Virginia  Kappa,  entered  the  University 
of  Virginia.  They  had  both  been  fighting  for 
four  years  in  the  Confederate  army.  Bagby  knew 
that  his  old  chapter  at  Washington  had  lived 
through  the  war,  and  he  told  Atkinson  this.  At- 
kinson urged  Bagby  to  send  to  Rho  at  once  for 
the  constitution  of  the  fraternity,  and  declared 
they  would  reorganize  Omicron.  Bagby  agreed 
to  this  and  a  few  days  later  placed  in  Atkinson's 
hands  the  proper  papers,  which  Rho  had  promptly 
forwarded.  They  were  the  first  to  reorganize  a 
chapter  at  Virginia,  and  he  had  no  trouble  in  get- 
ting together  a  splendid  company.  They  initiated 
fifteen  fine  fellows,  and  the  chapter  at  once  be 
came  influential. 

Georgia  Pi  Men  Enter  Athens.  Three  gallant 
Georgia  Pi  men  entered  the  University  of  Georgia 
in  the  fall  of  1865.  They  were  Samuel  Spencer 
George  Goetchius  and  James  McCleskey.  Their 
coming  together  was  momentous  for  the  history 
of  Sigma  Alpha  Epsilon,  for  they  were  to  be  the 
founders  of  Georgia  Beta,  a  chapter  which  was  to 
win  a  place  of  great  honor  in  the  fraternity. 
These  three  men  believed  that  every  active  chap- 
ter was  dead.  They  had  all  been  soldiers  in  the 
Confederate  army  and  no  word  had  come  to  them 
through  the  lines  that  Rho  survived,  nor  did  they 
know  the  good  work  which  Bagby  and  Atkinson 
were  doing  at  Virginia. 

The  Founding  of  Georgia  Beta.  It  was  on  the 
last  day  of  1865  that  Spencer,  Goetchins  and  Mc- 
Cleskey met  and  organized  the  chapter  at  the  Uni- 
versity of  Georgia.  A  chapter  historian  has  writ- 
ten: "The  genuine  affection  for  their  beloved 
order  still  lived  and  burned  in  the  breasts  of  the 
truly  loyal  sons  of  the  Pi  charge,  and  they  deter- 
mined to  re-establish  their  chapter  and  thus  re- 


32  PARAGRAPH  HISTORY 

vive  under  the  classic  shadows  of  the  state  uni- 
versity the  old  associations  so  endearing  to  their 
hopes  and  consoling  to  their  hearts." 

First  Days  of  Georgia  Beta.  From  the  start, 
Georgia  Beta  became  a  strong  chapter.  It  took  a 
prominent  part  in  the  councils  of  the  fraternity. 
The  minutes  of  the  Georgia  Beta  meeting  of  Feb. 
16,  1867,  show  there  had  been  no  general  conven- 
tion since  the  war.  Samuel  Spencer,  then  the  sec- 
retary of  the  chapter,  wrote:  "The  secretary  then 
read  before  the  house  the  amendments  to  the  con- 
stitution made  by  the  last  general  convention  in 
I860." 

Virginia  Omicron  at  the  Helm.  In  the  minutes 
of  Georgia  Beta  of  April  16,  1867,  we  learn  Omi- 
cron is  "the  acting  Grand  Chapter  at  the  Univer- 
sity of  Virginia."  This  was  through  the  agree- 
ment of  Rho  and  Omicron.  The  Washington  City 
chapter,  at  the  close  of  the  war,  was  dean  of  the 
fraternity  by  virtue  of  its  solidarity  and  Benja- 
min's mess  naturally  belonged  to  it.  It  was  not 
disposed  to  claim  its  rights,  and  its  interest  was 
great  in  the  revived  chapter  at  Virginia,  in  the 
renaissance  of  which  one  of  its  own  sons  had  had 
so  great  a  part.  So  it  was  that  the  reins  of  power 
were  handed  over  to  Omicron  and  it  became,  un- 
til the  holding  of  a  convention,  "acting  Grand 
Chapter." 

Mississippi  Gamma  Is  Planned.  Even  while 
Beta  was  organizing  Thomas  B.  Manlove,  who  had 
come  from  the  war  and  was  living  at  Vicksburg, 
Mississippi,  was  planning  for  the  rejuvenation  of 
Sigma  Alpha  Epsilon.  He,  like  the  men  at  the 
University  of  Georgia,  believed  that  all  the  Sigma 
Alpha  Epsilon  chapters  had  disappeared  from  th* 
face  of  the  earth  and  was  casting  about  for  a  good 
opportunity  to  bring  the  fraternity  back  to  life. 
Manlove  had  a  young  friend,  William  Champe 


OF  SIGMA  ALPHA  EPSILON  33 

Marshall,  who  was  a  student  in  the  University  of 
Mississippi.  He  explained  the  situation  to  Marsh- 
all, who  readily  agreed  to  be  initiated,  and  Man- 
love  made  him  an  S.  A.  E.  To  do  this  the  S.  A.  E. 
had  to  depend  upon  his  memory  for  he  had  not 
seen  a  copy  of  the  ritual  since  the  war  began. 
This  he  was  able  to  do,  for  he  had  known  the 
ceremony  by  heart  at  both  the  Nashville  and  the 
Cumberland  chapters,  to  both  of  which  he  had 
belonged. 

The  Founding  of  Mississippi  Gamma.  When 
William  C.  Marshall  returned  to  the  University 
of  Mississippi  in  the  fall  of  1865,  he  gathered  a 
fine  group  of  young  fellows  about  him  and  made 
them  S.  A.  E.'s.  The  first  man  Marshall  invited 
and  initiated  was  Frank  Bell  Webb,  a  cousin  of 
John  W.  Kerr,  the  founder.  There  followed 
Charles  B.  Howry,  L.  Q.  C.  Lamar,  Hiram  Cas- 
sedy  and  Walter  Acker  among  others.  All  of 
these  became  famous  in  later  life  as  Federal  or 
state  judges. 

Venus  Aids  Minerva  at  Louisiana.  Charles 
Read,  Tenn.  Nu,  had  a  sweetheart  who  lived  at 
Alexandria,  La.,  when  the  state  educational  in- 
stitution was  there,  and  when  he  went  there  to 
visit  her  and  saw  the  cadets  on  parade  he  was 
so  pleased  with  them  he  obtained  a  charter  from 
the  Grand  Chapter  and  Louisiana  Epsilon  was 
born.  There  were  seven  charter  members,  and 
though  these  boys  had  scarcely  passed  their  major- 
ity, yet  most  of  them  were  war  veterans.  For 
three  years  the  chapter  thrived  and  twenty-four 
fine  young  men  were  initiated.  It  was  while  Ep- 
silon was  in  her  most  flourishing  estate  that  tin 
order  for  its  dissolution  came.  The  members  of 
the  chapter  were  summoned  before  Superintend-, 
ent  Boyd  and  told  that  initiations  must  cease, 
He  held  that  a  military  college  was  no  place  for  a 


34  PARAGRAPH  HISTORY 

secret  society  and  that  Epsilon  must  go.  Tho 
chapter  slowly  dwindled  as  its  members  were 
graduated  and  Sigma  Alpha  Epsilon  went  into 
that  long  sleep  at  Louisiana  State  University  from 
which  it  did  not  awake  until  1897. 

Two  Tennessee  Chapters.  Tennessee  Lambda, 
which  had  disappeared  in  war  days,  was  revived 
in  1867  by  Thomas  Taliaferro,  who  was  at  Cum- 
berland University  studying  law.  Taliaferro  was  a 
cousin  of  Charles  B.  Howry,  Mississippi  Gamma. 
Tennessee  Eta  was  founded  by  three  Cumberland 
S.  A.  E.'s  in  the  fall  of  1867  at  West  Tennessee 
College,  now  Union  University. 

General  Convention  of  1867.  The  convention 
held  at  Nashville  in  the  summer  of  1867  was  the 
first  the  fraternity  had  had  since  the  war,  and 
there  was  a  general  accounting  of  conditions  and 
a  hopeful  outlook  for  the  future.  Charles  B.  Howry 
of  Mississippi  Gamma  was  chairman  of  the  conven- 
tion. Omicron,  which  had  been  acting  Grand 
Chapter  of  the  fraternity,  was  legally  endorsed  by 
the  convention  and  given  authority  to  continue 
as  Grand  Chapter.  The  need  of  a  new  catalogue 
was  strongly  felt,  and  Omicron  was  directed  to 
compile  and  publish  one.  It  has  been  well  said 
that  from  this  convention  dates  the  formal  reor- 
ganization of  the  fraternity.  Not  that  any  single 
action  of  the  convention  was  of  paramount  import- 
ance, but  the  act  of  holding  a  general  gathering 
in  itself  made  all  the  fraternity  settle  down  once 
more  to  the  fact  that  each  chapter  was  but  a  part 
of  a  large  whole.  There  were  fifteen  present.  Dur- 
ing the  discussion  on  the  extension  of  the  order, 
one  of  its  first  phases  to  be  broached  was  the 
question  as  to  whether  the  fraternity  should  go 
north.  It  is  almost  strange  that  so  near  the  close 
of  a  fierce  fratricidal  strife  between  the  North  and 
South,  the  subject  could  be  mentioned  in  a  group 


OF  SIGMA  ALPHA  EPSILON  35 

of  southern  boys,  and  although  but  little  time  was 
given  to  it,  Howry  did  express  his  opinion  that  it 
might  be  a  wise  move  for  the  fraternity  to  make. 

Virginia  Sigma  Installed.  Frank  Bell  Webb  of 
Missisippi  Gamma  entered  Washington  and  Lee 
University  in  September,  1867,  and  the  absence  of 
any  fraternity  brothers  made  him  lonely.  He 
wrote  to  the  Grand  Chapter,  then  at  the  University 
of  Virginia,  asking  for  a  charter.  This  was 
granted,  and  Webb  initiated  William  H.  Washing- 
ton, Sidney  D.  McCormick,  Edward  A.  Cheek, 
Edward  P.  Clarke,  James  S.  Clarke,  and  Samuel 
H.  Yonge  as  charter  members.  Edward  P.  Clarke 
wrote  to  the  writer  some  time  since  the  following 
interesting  accounts  of  the  very  first  days  of  the 
chapter:  "The  initiation  was  peculiar,  in  that  it 
was  done  in  a  classroom  by  Frank  Webb  of  Ala- 
bama, with  no  one  but  the  two  of  us  present,  he 
having  been  deputized  by  the  supreme  lodge  to 
organize  the  chapter.  He  had  succeeded  in  cap- 
turing his  roommate  first,  S.  D.  McCormick  of  Ken- 
tucky, and  I  was  the  second  member  of  a  chapter 
that  for  years  occupied  an  enviable  position 
among  the  college  fraternities." 

Kentucky  Chi  Revived.  Kentucky  Chi  com- 
menced the  second  and  greatest  period  of  its  ex- 
istence when  John  Holt  and  Edward  Blount,  stu- 
dents at  the  Kentucky  Military  Institute,  took  the 
vows  of  the  fraternity  ne£r  the  end  of  the  college 
year  of  1868.  This  was  the  real  beginning  of  the 
life  of  Kentucky  Chi,  a  chapter  which  will  be  for- 
ever famous  in  the  annals  of  Sigma  Alpha  Epsilon. 
For  twenty  years  this  chapter  was  to  hold  a  posi- 
tion and  wield  an  influence  -in  the  fraternity 
equaled  by  very  few  if  any  other  of  the  chapters. 

Chapters  Called  Kephs.  A  chapter  was  fre- 
quently designated  by  the  Greek  word  "keph"  dur- 
ing the  early  years  of  the  fraternity. 


36  PARAGRAPH  HISTORY 

South  Carolina  Phi.  In  the  fall  of  1868  South 
Carolina  Phi  was  founded  at  Furnam  University, 
Greensville,  S.  C.,  by  Joseph  P.  Deans  of  Wash- 
ington City  Rho. 

Two  General  Conventions.  Sigma  Alpha  Epsi- 
lon  continued  to  hold  annual  general  conventions 
following  the  1887  gathering  for  many  years.  The 
convention  of  1868  was  held  at  Oxford,  Miss.,  with 
Mississippi  Gamma.  The  feature  of  this  conven- 
tion was  the  public  oration  delivered  by  J.  E. 
Matthews,  of  Tennessee  Lambda.  The  literary 
features  of  the  early  conventions  were  very  pro- 
nounced. The  Athens  convention  of  1869  of  Sigma 
Alpha  Epsilon  was  opened  July  6th  at  the  Masonic 
Hall  with  Georgia  Beta  as  host  of  the  gathering. 
There  were  now  ten  chapters  but  only  four  were 
represented,  including  Beta.  The  other  three  were 
Virginia  Omicron,  Mississippi  Gamma  and  Louisi- 
ana Epsilon  of  the  Louisiana  state.  In  those  days 
a  chapter  could  be  represented  by  as  many  dele- 
gates as  it  chose  to  send,  and  Georgia  Beta,  hav- 
ing the  convention  at  her  home,  had  elected  ten. 
A  practically  new  constitution  was  adopted. 

Fraternal  Insurance  Proposed.  William  D. 
Trammel,  of  Georgia  Beta,  proposed  to  the  con- 
vention of  1869  that  S.  A.  E.  should  adopt  the  fra- 
ternal insurance  idea.  The  plan  was  rejected. 

Georgia  Beta  Selected  as  Grand  Chapter.  The 
convention  of  1869  made  Georgia  Beta  the  Grand 
Chapter. 

The  Constitution  of  1869.  One  of  the  most  im- 
portant documents  in  the  history  of  Sigma  Alpha 
Epsilon  is  the  constitution  of  1869.  This  consti- 
tution was  the  first  to  provide  for  northern  exten- 
sion. The  wording  of  the  act  governing  extension 
was  as  follows:  "Chapters  may  be  established 
beyond  Mason's  and  Dixon's  line,  but  the  Grand 
Chapter  must  be  confined  south  of  it."  Virginia 


OF  SIGMA  ALPHA  EPSILON  37 

Sigma  made  a  protest  against  it,  and  succeeded 
In  having  it  repealed  at  the  convention  of  1870. 
The  constitution  provided  for  yearly  conventions, 
at  which  each  chapter  was  allowed  ten  delegates. 
If  it  failed  to  be  represented  it  was  fined  one  hun- 
dred dollars.  Each  chapter  was  allowed  thirteen 
members  to  every  hundred  students  in  the  col- 
lege. 

Mississippi  Zeta  Appears.  With  the  closing 
days  of  1869,  Mississippi  Zeta  was  instituted  at 
Mississippi  College.  The  charter  was  withdrawn 
three  years  later. 

Second  Catalogue  Issued.  The  second  catalogue 
was  issued  in  May,  1870. 

The  Fraternity  in  1870  had  nine  active  chapters. 
They  were  Georgia  Beta,  Kentucky  Chi,  Virginia 
Sigma,  Mississippi  Gamma,  Tennessee  Eta,  Lou- 
isiana Epsilon,  Tennessee  Lambda,  Mississippi 
Zeta,  South  Carolina  Phi. 

General  Convention,  1870.  The  general  conven- 
tion of  1870  met  July  6  at  Memphis,  Tenn.  Georgia 
Beta,  Kentucky  Chi,  Virginia  Sigma,  Mississippi 
Gamma  and  Tennessee  Eta  were  represented  by 
delegates. 

First  National  Officer.  The  convention  of  1870 
provided  for  the  first  national  officer.  Heretofore, 
the  officers  of  the  Grand  Chapter  had  been  to  all 
intents  the  national  officers,  though  not  designat- 
ed as  such,  and  the  fraternity  thought  of  the 
Grand  Chapter  as  the  head  of  the  fraternity, 
rather  than  of  any  set  of  officials.  The  act  passed 
by  the  convention  of  1870  providing  for  a  Grand 
Treasurer  did  focalize  the  attention  of  the  fra- 
ternity that  it  had  a  national  official.  Isaac  T. 
Heard,  Georgia  Beta,  was  elected  the  first  Grand 
Treasurer. 


38  PARAGRAPH  HISTORY 

Northern  Extension  Rescinded.  The  convention 
of  1870  repealed  the  act  of  1869  providing  for  ex- 
tension and  enacted  a  law  which  provided,  "No 
extension  north  of  the  Mason  and  Dixon  line, 
north  of  California  and  Kansas. 

The  Judicial  System.  The  convention  of  1870 
adopted  a  judicial  system.  It  provided  for  a  su- 
preme court,  a  superior  court,  and  inferior  courts. 
The  general  convention  of  the  fraternity  was  de- 
nominated the  supreme  court  and  the  officers  of 
the  general  convention  were  to  be  judges  of  the 
supreme  court.  The  superior  court  was  the  Grand 
Chapter.  All  decisions  were  to  be  made  by  a 
majority  vote.  The  inferior  courts  were  courts 
which  the  several  chapters  were  required  to  or- 
ganize. 

Chapters  Founded  and  Revived.  Tennessee  Nu, 
and  the  Murfreesboro  chapter,  both  of  ante-bellum 
days,  were  revived  in  the  autumn  days  of  1870, 
while  Georgia  Psi  at  Mercer  University  and  Ala- 
bama Beta-Beta  at  Howard  College  were  estab- 
lished. Alabama  Beta-Beta  owes  its  existence  to 
George  D.  Bancroft,  of  Georgia  Beta,  who  went  to 
Howard  College  to  teach.  Georgia  Psi  started 
with  John  Pope  Jones,  Thomas  F.  Stubbs  and 
William  M.  Jordan  as  its  charter  members. 

Lean  Years  for  S.  A.  E.  With  the  year  of  1870 
the  extension  of  the  fraternity  ceased  for  five 
years.  The  end  of  the  period  found  the  fraternity 
at  a  very  low  ebb. 

Five  General  Conventions.  The  convention  of 
1871  met  at  Nashville;  of  1872  at  Atlanta;  of 
1873  at  Louisville;  of  1874  at  Augusta,  Ga.,  and 
of  1875  at  Nashville.  The  last  of  these  had  but 
thirteen  delegates. 

The  Phinizy  Amendment.  Leonard  Phinizy, 
Georgia  Beta,  introduced  an  act  at  the  1871  con- 


0^  SIGMA  ALPHA  EPSILON  39 

vention  authorizing  alumni  chapters.  The  Atlanta 
alumni  were  the  first  to  organize. 

Third  Catalogue  Issued.  Georgia  Beta,  the 
Grand  Chapter,  issued  the  Catalogue  of  1872. 

Virginia  Theta  and  North  Carolina  Rho-Rho 
were  established  near  the  end  of  1870.  Virginia 
Theta  at  the  Virginia  Military  Institute  and 
North  Carolina  Rho-Rho  at  the  Carolina  Military 
Institute. 

Virginia  Sigma  Made  Grand  Chapter.  Virginia 
Sigma  at  Washington  and  Lee  University  was 
made  Grand  Chapter  of  the  fraternity  by  the 
Nashville  convention  of  1875. 

Difficulties  of  the  Fraternity.  Sigma  Alpha 
Epsilon  awoke  in  1877  to  find  that  the  general 
convention  appointed  for  the  summer  before  had 
not  been  held.  It  was  only  the  extraordinary  vi- 
tality of  Sigma  Alpha  Epsilon  that  kept  it  alive 
in  that  decade. 

Kentucky  Chi  in  Leadership.  Kentucky  Chi  was 
the  chapter  which  took  the  lead  in  the  rejuvena- 
tion of  Sigma  Alpha  Epsilon.  On  February  18, 
1877,  it  issued  an  address  to  the  Grand  Chapter. 
In  view  of  the  conditions  of  that  day  and  the  re- 
sults achieved,  it  may  be  said  that  this  address 
was  one  of  the  most  important  papers  ever  issued 
by  a  Sigma  Alpha  Epsilon  chapter.  It  declared 
the  fraternity  in  danger  of  extinction  and  ar- 
raigned the  chapters  for  their  negligence  so  se- 
verely that  a  convention  was  called  to  be  held  in 
Richmond,  Va.,  July  9,  1877. 

Richmond  Convention  of  1877.  The  ninth  of 
July,  1877,  came.  Richard  H.  Wildberger,  of  Ken- 
tucky Chi,  found  himself  in  Richmond  as  the 
representative  of  the  chapter  which  had  brought 
about  the  convention.  He  found  there  a  repre- 
sentative from  every  chapter  except  one,  the  Unl- 


40  PARAGRAPH  HISTORY 

versity  of  Virginia.  The  fraternity  was  of  age. 
A  few  months  before  it  had  passed  its  twenty-first 
birthday.  Twenty-four  chapters  had  graced  its 
rolls  and  of  these  but  six  remained.  Wildberger 
and  Murphy,  Georgia  Beta,  believed  that  the  fin- 
ances of  the  fraternity  were  a  prime  factor  in  its 
success.  The  convention  fixed  the  annual  duea 
of  each  active  member  for  national  purposes  at 
four  dollars.  From  this  time  on  the  Grand  Chap- 
ter was  to  have  the  means  with  which  to  do 
things.  Kentucky  Chi  was  chosen  Grand  Chap- 
ter and  Ben  T.  Farmer,  Kentucky  Chi,  was  elect- 
ed Grand  Treasurer. 

The  Catalogue  of  1877.  Kentucky  Chi  promised 
the  speedy  appearance  of  the  long  expected  cata- 
logue. The  little  pamphlet  appeared  in  Novem- 
ber, 1877.  It  contained  the  names  of  eight  hun- 
dred and  six  members.  A  supplement  was  issued 
in  March,  1880,  with  two  hundred  and  fourteen 
new  names.  Another  activity  of  the  Grand  Chap- 
ter was  the  installation  of  Kentucky  Alpha  at 
Forest  Academy.  At  the  end  of  the  year  the  char- 
ter was  withdrawn. 

Alabama  Alpha-Mu  Founded.  Alabama  Alpha- 
Mu,  at  Alabama  Polytechnic  Institute,  is  the 
child  of  a  "prep"  school  friendship.  William 
Wallace  Lambdin,  John  J.  Huguley  and  John  B. 
D.  Shipp  were  at  the  Gordon  Institute.  Lambdin 
and  Huguley  entered  the  University  of  Georgia, 
where  they  were  received  into  Georgia  Beta, 
while  Shipp  went  to  Auburn.  The  two  new  S.  A. 
E.'s  at  Georgia  wanted  their  old  chum  to  be  a 
fraternity  brother,  and  they  urged  him  to  estab- 
lish a  chapter.  He  organized  a  chapter  of  four- 
teen men.  It  was  installed  June  15,  1878. 
1  Augusta  Convention  of  1878.  The  Augusta  con- 
vention of  1878  was  held  August  28,  29  and  30. 
The  Augusta  convention  was  largely  attended,  but 


OF  SIGMA  ALPHA  EPSILON  41 

most  of  those  present  were  Georgia  alumni.  Only 
four  active  chapters  had  delegates.  These  were: 
Georgia  Beta,  Georgia  Psi,  Tennessee  Lambda, 
which  had  been  reorganized  by  Charles  Z.  Mc- 
Cord,  and  Tennessee  Nu,  which  had  been  reor- 
ganized by  W.  Leroy  Broun,  Jr.  Kentucky  Chi 
was  re-elected  Grand  Chapter;  Ben  T.  Farmer 
was  re-elected  Grand  Treasurer. 

Alabama  lota  Launched.  John  E.  D.  Shipp,  Ala- 
bama Alpha-Mu,  sat  in  his  college  boarding  house 
reading  a  newspaper,  and  his  attention  was  at- 
tracted by  the  account  of  a  literary  contest  in 
which  several  students  at  Southern  Universi- 
ty at  Greensboro  had  done  well.  Shipp  copied 
the  names  and  then  and  there  wrote  the  contest- 
ants asking  them  to  organize  and  petition  S.  A.  K. 
for  a  charter.  They  responded,  saying  that  the 
idea  was  an  agreeable  one,  and  the  chapter  was 
soon  organized  and  petitioning.  The  Grand  Chap- 
ter issued  the  charter  and,  with  Shipp  as  in- 
stalling officer,  Alabama  Iota,  on  Nov.  23,  1878, 
became  an  integral  part  of  S.  A.  E. 

Georgia  Delta  Begins  Career.  Roland  Lyon,  of 
Georgia  Psi,  went  to  Dahlonega  October  8,  1879, 
and  initiated  his  brother,  who  was  a  student  at 
the  Georgia  A.  M.  College,  into  S.  A.  E.  This 
proved  the  starting  of  Georgia  Delta. 

Proposed  Amalgamation  with  Beta  Theta  Pi. 
Kentucky  Chi  announced  to  the  fraternity  on  No- 
vember 21,  1879,  it  had  received  a  proposition  to 
unite  S.  A.  E.  with  Beta  Theta  Pi  and  that  the 
Grand  Chapter  favorably  considered  the  plan. 
The  entire  order  became  aflame  with  anger  at 
the  suggestion,  and  there  was  not  a  single  chap- 
ter addressed  but  took  indignant  action  repelling 
the  attempt  at  subversion. 

Attitude  of  the  Chapters  Toward  Amalgamation 


42  PARAGRAPH  HISTORY 

was  humorously  expressed  in  a  letter  to  Kentucky 
Chi  by  Samuel  Lane,  of  Georgia  Beta.  He  asked: 
Are  you  fellows  really  in  earnest,  or  was  it  your 
object  to  stir  things  up  and  make  the  dry  bones 
rattle  a  little  by  proposing  such  steps?  I  have 
never  seen  the  S.  A.  E.  camp  in  such  commotion 
in  Georgia.  Every  man  in  Beta  has  gone  to  writ- 
ing letters.  Psi,  at  Macon,  Georgia,  is  red  hot.  I 
have  about  four  letters  from  them  about  the  sub^ 
ject  within  the  past  week;  our  Dahlonega, 
Georgia,  chapter  is  also  puffing.  All  the  fellows 
reject  the  proposition  most  emphatically  and  I 
am  afraid  if  Brother  Wildberger  were  to  take  a 
tour  through  Georgia  just  now  he  would  be  in  some 
danger  of  having  an  S.  A.  E.  head  put  on  him.  I 
know  he  would,  did  not  our  boys  know  what  a 
faithful  sentinel  in  the  watchtower  he  has  been 
and  is,  and  that  nearest  his  heart  come  the  best 
interests  of  our  order. 

Tennessee  Kappa  Founded.  Tennessee  Kappa 
was  a  June  bride  in  the  early  summer  of  1879. 
The  alliance  was  with  Sigma  Alpha  Epsilon.  The 
union  was  brought  about  by  John  E.  D.  Shipp,  of 
Alabama  Alpha-Mu,  and  Joseph  W.  Horton,  of 
Tennessee  Lambda.  The  charter  was  granted  on 
June  18. 

Nashville  Convention  of  1879.  Yellow  Jack  was 
very  impolite  to  Minerva  in  the  summer  of  1879, 
for  he  shut  the  doors  of  Nashville  to  her.  Four 
general  conventions  of  the  fraternity  had  been 
held  there  and  the  convention  of  1879  would  be 
the  first  of  five  to  follow.  It  was  held  the  three 
days  before  Christmas.  The  conventions  early 
passed  the  following  resolutions:  That  it  is  con- 
trary to  the  spirit  of  our  fraternity  to  absorb  or 
in  any  manner  whatever  unite*  with  any  other 
college  fraternity,  north  or  south.  The  big  four 
definite  things  it  did  was  to  provide  for  a  fra- 


OF  SIGMA  ALPHA  EPSILON  43 

ternity  magazine,  of  which  Robert  Wildberger  was 
elected  editor.  Kentucky  Chi  was  chosen  again 
as  Grand  Chapter  and  Ben  T.  Farmer  was  re- 
elected  treasurer.  A  medal  was  provided  for 
chapter  founders. 

The  S.  A.  E.  Record  Appears.  The  first  nun> 
ber  of  the  Sigma  Alpha  Epsilon  Record  appeared 
in  March,  1880,  with  Robert  H.  Wildberger  as 
editor. 

The  Wooing  of  Minerva.  Although  the  chap* 
ters  had  stood  steadfast  in  their  loyalty,  the  news 
of  S.  A.  E.  having  been  invited  to  amalgamate  by 
ano'ther  fraternity  was  taken  by  some  as  a  desire 
on  her  part  to  do  so.  They  had  not  heard  of  the 
resolutions  of  the  1879  convention.  In  August, 
1880,  a  letter  was  received  from  W.  L.  McClung, 
secretary  of  the  extension  committee  of  Delta 
Tau  Delta.  He  wrote  to  the  Grand  Chapter:  How 
would  you  look  on  a  project  to  unite  our  two  fra* 
ternities?  If  you  favor  such  a  plan,  of  course, 
you  can  exert  very  great  influence  with  your  fra- 
ternity, as  I  can  also  with  mine.  If  we  should 
unite,  S.  A.  E.  would  at  one  bound  gain  twenty- 
three  chapter  members,  while  D.  T.  D.  would 
gain,  I  don't  know  just  your  numbers,  but  most 
of  them  are  in  good  colleges  and  occupy  high  po- 
sitions. 

S.  A.  E.  Has  Another  Suitor.  Sigma  Alpha  Ep- 
silon must  have  had  very  attractive  characteris- 
tics about  1880,  for  Alpha  Tau  Omega  wrote  to 
Wildberger  in  February,  1881,  "We  heard  that 
your  fraternity  at  large  contemplates  disband- 
ment  or  merger  into  some  other  fraternity.  If 
such  be  the  case,  the  High  Council  of  the  Alpha 
Tau  Omega  fraternity  would  like  to  treat  with 
the  authorities  of  S.  A.  E.  We  have  eight  large 
and  energetic  chapters  and  five  alumni  chapters. 


44  PARAGRAPH  HISTORY 

Our  magazine  has  taken  a  prominent  place  among 
college  fraternity  publications." 

Baird  Suggests  a  Plan  of  Union.  William  Rai- 
mond  Baird  reopened  in  the  spring  of  1881  his 
negotiations  looking  toward  a  union  of  Beta  Theta 
Pi  and  Sigma  Alpha  Epsilon.  He  wrote  to  the 
Grand  Chapter:  "The  addition  of  your  chapter 
would  strengthen  us  where  we  do  not  exist,"  and 
in  another  letter  suggested  the  following  plan  of 
action:  Can't  you  get  a  committee  appointed  "on 
the  general  condition  of  the  fraternity"  with  ple- 
nary powers?  Then  let  the  committee  suggest  to 
our  authorities  a  union;  we  would  appoint  a  com- 
mittee to  arrange  terms,  and  this  being  done  our 
convention  could  ratify  them  and  yours  could  be 
submitted  to  the  chapters  individually,  and  if 
some  of  your  influential  alumni  approve  of  the 
plan  I  have  no  doubt  as  to  the  result,  for  the 
alumni  virtually  control  opinion  in  such  matters. 
A  committee  of  three  from  S.  A.  E.  and  three 
from  Beta  Theta  Pi,  meeting  in  Louisville,  Nash- 
ville, Berkeley  or  White  Sulphur  Springs,  could 
settle  the  whole  thing  in  a  day. 

A  Warning  to  Suitors.  The  issue  of  the  REC- 
ORD, after  these  proposals  of  union  from  the 
three  influential  fraternities,  contained  a  warn- 
ing notice,  "There  are  several  fraternities  wait- 
ing around  to  pick  the  bones  of  S.  A.  E.,,  but  we 
will  go  to  some  of  their  funerals  yet!  S.  A.  E.  is 
not  dead  and  not  going  to  die;  please  don't  forget 
that.  We  are  not  even  sick.  It  is  very  compli- 
mentary to  always  be  receiving  offers  of  union 
with  other  similar  bodies." 

The  Inactive  Chapters.  S.  A.  E.,  like  other  fra- 
ternities, has  its  list  of  inactive  chapters,  several 
of  whose  stories  have  been  told.  Anti-fraternity 
laws,  the  Civil  war,  the  passing  of  the  institu- 
tion, the  lowering  of  educational  standards  and 


OF  SIGMA  ALPHA  EPSILON  45 

consequent  withdrawal  of  charters  have  been  con- 
tributing causes  to  their  demise.  Having  a  place 
historically  but  not  in  the  active  life  of  the  fra- 
ternity of  today,  we  enter  the  remaining  ones 
here  with  name  of  college  and  years  of  activity: 
S.  C.  Upsilon,  Charleston  College,  1881-2;  Texas 
Rho,  Marvin  College,  1881-84;  S.  C.  Lambda,  The 
Citadel,  1883-94;  Va.  Pi,  Emory  and  Henry,  1884- 
95;  Va.  Tau,  Richmond  College,  1884-87;  S.  C. 
Mu,  Erskine  College,  1884-94;  Ky.  Epsilon,  South 
Kentucky  College,  1885-87;  S.  C.  Gamma,  Wofford, 
1885-1912;  La.  Zeta,  Thatcher  Institute,  1886-88; 
Texas  Theta,  Buffalo  Gap,  1888;  Miss.  Theta, 
Mississippi  A.  and  M.,  1887-92;  Texas  Psi,  South- 
western, 1887-88;  Iowa  Sigma,  Simpson,  1889-98; 
Conn.  Alpha,  Trinity,  1892-99. 

Halcyon  Days  Begin.  The  eighties  were  pro- 
pitious years  for  Sigma  Alpha  Epsilon.  Like  a 
strong  runner,  the  fraternity  had  at  last  found  its 
second  wind.  Moments  of  difficulty  would  come, 
the  period  of  dying  chapters  was  by  no  means 
over;  but  withal,  the  time  of  steady  advance  had 
set  in. 

Atlanta  Convention  of  1881.  The  general  con- 
vention of  1881  met  at  the  State  Capitol  in  Atlanta 
the  last  day  of  June.  A  charter  was  granted  for 
a  chapter  at  the  University  of  the  South.  Robert 
H.  Wildberger  was  re-elected  editor  of  the  Rec- 
ord. It  forgot  to  elect  a  treasurer  and  Ben  T. 
Farmer  was  subsequently  named  by  the  Grand 
Chapter. 

Northern  Extension  at  1881  Convention.  Oliver 
Mitchell,  Georgia  Beta,  presented  the  following 
resolution  to  the  1881  convention:  "That  every 
chapter  in  the  different  states  lying  on  the  line 
of  the  southern  states,  and  all  other  chapters  em- 
braced in  this  fraternity,  be  urgently  requested  to 
abolish  the  custom  of  confining  this  fraternity  to 


46  PARAGRAPH  HISTORY 

exclusively  southern  states,  and  that  they  be  urged 
to  press  on  their  work  knowing  no  South,  no 
North,  no  East,  no  West."  William  B.  Walker, 
Georgia  Beta,  has  written  of  the  reception  of  the 
resolution:  "Mine  was  not  the  popular  speech 
and  when  I  advocated  the  extension  of  the  fra- 
ternity north  of  the  Ohio  River,  my  speech  fell 
flat.  If  there  is  any  honor  coming  to  me  I  would 
rather  have  the  distinction  of  this  plea  made, 
rather  than  be  known  as  the  founder  of  Tennes- 
see Omega.  Of  that  act,  which  is  undeniably 
mine,  I  am  proud,  but  of  the  other  I  am  more 
than  proud,  for  though  I  stood  alone,  the  subse- 
quent history  has  been  my  vindication." 

Tennessee  Omega  Founded.  Tennessee  Omega, 
at  the  University  of  the  South,  was  the  result  of 
the  work  of  William  B.  Walker,  Georgia  Beta.  He 
obtained  a  charter  from  the  1881  convention  and 
the  first  initiation  was  held  August  20,  1881.  The 
first  ten  men  for  the  chapter  were  selected  for 
Walker  by  the  faculty  of  the  institution. 

Northern  Fraternities  Extend  South.  With  the 
coming  of  the  eighties  many  northern  fraternities 
commenced  to  look  southward.  The  question  of 
the  invasion  of  the  South  by  the  northern  fra/ 
ternities  was  always  a  subject  frequently  agitat- 
ed; their  wealth  and  numbers  were  dwelt  upon 
with  so  much  gravity  that  it  is  evident  it  was 
used  as  a  bug-a-boo  by  the  officials  of  the  south- 
ern fraternities  to  accelerate  the  activities  of 
their  chapters.  When  the  northern  fraternities 
did  enter  the  South  they  succeeded  in  making  the 
same  comfortable  place  for  themselves  that  the 
southern  fraternities  won  when  they  spread 
through  the  North  and  became  national  organiza* 
tions. 

First  Panhellenic  Agreement.  Kentucky  Chi 
was  probably  the  first  chapter  in  the  Greek  world 


OF  SIGMA  ALPHA  EPSILON  47 

to  formulate  a  Panhellenic  agreement  when  in 
1881  it  brought  about  an  agreement  with  its 
rivals  not  to  pledge  or  initiate  any  student  until 
six  weeks  after  the  opening  of  the  college  year. 

First  S.  A.  E.  Chapter  House.  Tennessee  Omega 
was  the  first  S.  A.  E.  chapter  to  own  its  own 
house.  One  of  the  prettiest  stories  of  all  S.  A.  E. 
history  is  the  starting  of  their  chapter  house 
fund.  The  chapter  obtained  the  government  con- 
tract for  delivering  the  mail  at  the  university. 
The  members  took  charge  in  alphabetical  order 
and  served  either  in  pairs  or  singly,  each  for  one 
or  two  weeks.  The  mail  for  the  university  was 
brought  by  "hand  and  foot"  power  from  the  sta- 
tion a  mile  away.  It  was  then  sorted  "on  the 
hill"  and  delivered  to  the  residents  by  the  car- 
riers, who  had  previously  carried  it  from  the  sta- 
tion. The  chapter  was  ready  to  essay  the  task 
and  pledged  itself  to  do  the  work.  The  contract 
paid  $110.00  a  year,  and  Guerry,  Glass,  Harris,  Mc- 
Glohon,  and  the  rest  of  the  chapter  served.  One 
day  McGlohon,  with  a  two  bushel  sack  of  mail 
on  his  back,  met  Bishop  Elliott,  of  Texas.  The 
Bishop  said :  "I  want  to  shake  your  hand  and  tell 
you  I  am  glad  to  hear  that  your  boys  are  carry- 
ing this  mail  for  your  chapter.  That  action  has 
raised  you  to  the  highest  moral  plane.  You  de- 
serve success  and  I  want  to  thank  you  men  for 
setting  such  a  manly  example  here  at  Sewanee. 
Your  chapter  has  not  only  taken  a  high  place  by 
this  action,  but  you  have  done  something  for  the 
whole  student  body  which  will  last.  On  all  sides 
your  men  are  commended  and  with  all  my  heart 
I  honor  you  and  wish  your  chapter  success." 

When  Chapters  "Reorganized."  In  the  seven- 
ties and  eighties  the  chapters  were  accustomed  to 
go  through  a  process  they  called  "reorganizing." 
The  use  of  the  term  "reorganize"  in  that  period  of 


48  PARAGRAPH  HISTORY 

the  fraternity's  history  was  a  peculiar  one.  Chap- 
ters did  not  seem  to  regard  themselves  as  having 
incessant  existence,  but  every  college  year  they 
would  pass  through  this  reorganization  proceed- 
ing when  the  college  term  began.  If  a  chapter 
returned  none  of  its  workers  there  was  danger 
that  the  inactivity  of  those  who  did  come  back 
would  allow  the  chapter  to  drag,  and  even  to  die, 
while  the  lazy  ones  would  excuse  themselves  with 
the  specious  "We  have  not  reorganized  this  year." 

The  Birth  of  Georgia  Epsilon  took  place  at  the 
opening  of  Emory  College  at  Oxford  in  the  fall  of 
1881.  Robert  S.  Patillo  and  James  E.  Hunnicutt 
were  initiated  by  alumni  during  the  summer. 
Their  first  initiate  was  Alexander  J.  Smith,  who 
became  a  most  industrious  S.  A.  E. 

South  Carolina  Delta.  The  fraternity  owes  to 
the  work  of  James  G.  Glass,  Tennessee  Omega, 
the  South  Carolina  Delta  chapter  at  the  Universi- 
ty of  South  Carolina.  He  went  to  Columbia  in 
February  and  interviewed  President  Miles,  of 
South  Carolina  College,  concerning  the  conditions 
under  which  a  chapter  of  Sigma  Alpha  Epsilon 
might  be  established  there.  President  Miles  gave 
him  a  warm  welcome.  He  believed  in  the  college 
fraternities  and  in  their  beneficial  influence  in  the 
college  where  they  were  situated,  and  that  they 
also  tended  to  draw  into  closer  relation  to  each 
other  the  colleges  of  the  country.  The  first  two 
members  of  the  chapter  were  William  St.  C.  Syiri- 
mers  and  Philo  H.  Burney.  These  were  initiated 
on  the  night  of  February  28,  1882. 

Kentucky  Kappa  Organized.  Charles  W.  Welch, 
Kentucky  Chi,  installed  Kentucky  Kappa  at  Cen- 
tral University,  March  4,  1882.  The  institution  was 
then  at  Richmond,  Ky.,  but  the  college  has  since 
been  removed  to  Danville,  Ky. 


OF  SIGMA  ALPHA  EPSILON  49 

Augusta  Convention  of  1882.  The  Augusta  con- 
vention of  1882  of  Sigma  Alpha  Epsilon  was  called 
to  order  by  Major  J.  H.  Young,  of  Kentucky  Chi. 
The  Grand  Chapter  election  of  the  year  had  made 
him  president  of  the  Grand  Chapter.  The  Record 
was  continued  and  strengthened  and  J.  H.  Young 
was  elected  editor-in-chief.  The  Grand  Chapter 
was  sent  back  to  Kentucky  Chi. 

The  Ritual  in  Cipher.  During  the  fall  of  1882 
the  first  recorded  effort  was  made  to  devise  a 
cipher  for  the  secret  work  of  the  fraternity. 
Caskie  Harrison,  Tennessee  Omega,  undertook  this 
work.  The  cipher  he  submitted  was  a  unique  one. 
It  depended  upon  the  use  of  one  hundred  letters, 
which  gave  more  than  three  representations  of 
each  letter  of  the  alphabet.  Various  ciphers  have 
been  devised  by  several  members  of  the  fraternity 
since  then,  but  they  have  never  come  into  gen- 
eral use. 

Tennessee  Zeta  Founded.  Samuel  B.  McGlohon, 
one  of  the  sons  of  Tennessee  Omega,  was  deter- 
mined to  build  up  the  fraternity  in  the  Volunteer 
state,  and  it  was  his  zeal  which  brought  Tennessee 
Zeta  into  existence.  McGlohon  founded  Tennessee 
Zeta  at  the  Southwestern  Presbyterian  University, 
on  November  10,  1882. 

Georgia  Beta  in  1883.  Davis  Freeman,  Georgia 
Beta,  wrote  to  John  A.  Harris,  Tenn.  Omega,  in 
the  spring  of  1883,  "Our  chapter  is  probably  the 
largest  on  the  list  (twenty-seven  men).  I  have 
been  a  member  of  Georgia  Beta  since  March  7, 
1880,  and  during  all  that  time  I  have  not  known 
more  universal  good  fellowship.  We  meet  every 
Saturday  night.  Georgia  Beta  believes  that  our 
order  is  now  on  the  high  road  to  success  and  is 
making  rapid  strides  toward  the  goal  of  perfect 
and  extended  foothold  in  all  the  first-class  col- 
leges in  the  South.  To  further  this  rapid  consum- 


50  PARAGRAPH  HISTORY 

mation  she  believes  that  every  chapter  should  be 
on  the  alert,  and  whenever  an  opening  presents 
to  seize  the  opportunity  and  fill  it  by  establishing 
a  branch  of  the  S.  A.  E.  fraternity. 

North  Carolina  Theta.  North  Carolina  Theta 
was  founded  by  Edwin  G.  Seibels,  South  Carolina 
Delta,  May  20,  1883. 

Northern  Extension  Accomplished.  The  Grand 
Chapter  sprung  a  surprise  on  the  fraternity  in 
June,  1883.  For  a  quarter  of  a  century  the  ques- 
tion of  northern  extension  had  been  a  perpetual 
theme  of  agitation.  It  appeared  coeval  with  the 
birth  of  the  fraternity,  and  since  had  been  dis- 
cussed among  the  members  in  the  chapters  and  the 
conventions.  Even  ardent  friends  were  not 
prepared  for  the  announcement  made  by  the  Grand 
Chapter,  in  June,  1883,  that  Sigma  Alpha  Epsilon 
had  a  northern  chapter.  Even  the  Grand  Chapter 
must  have  been  surprised  at  itself  when  it  found 
It  had  established  the  chapter  at  Pennsylvania 
College.  Attendance  at  a  Panhellenic  gathering  in 
Philadelphia  had  profoundly  impressed  the  Grand 
President  with  the  strength  of  the  northern  fra- 
ternities and  he  was  in  accord  with  the  northern 
extension  idea.  It  was  soon  after  this  that  the 
application  for  a  charter  came  from  Pennsylvania 
College,  sometimes  called  Gettysburg  College,  on 
account  of  its  location  in  that  Pennsylvania  city, 
The  men  whose  names  were  signed  were  especially 
persistent,  and  it  was  finally  decided  that  Russell 
H.  Snively,  the  vice-president  of  the  Grand  Chapter, 
should  be  sent  to  Gettysburg  to  investigate,  and 
he  was  given  full  authority  to  act.  At  Gettysburg 
he  found  H.  B.  Kline,  R.  R.  D.  Kline,  Frank  E. 
Warren,  and  J.  F.  Foust.  The  Kline  brothers  were 
southern  boys  and  so  knew  much  of  Sigma  Alpha 
Epsilon.  Snively  was  so  impressed  with  the  prom- 
ise of  the  little  group  that  they  would  build  up 


OF  SIGMA  ALPHA  EPSILON  51 

a  strong  chapter,  that  he  gave  heed  to  their  plea 
and  initiated  them. 

Louisville  Convention  of  1883.  The  Louisville 
Convention  of  1883  met  August  14.  This  conven- 
tion made  Tennessee  Omega  Grand  Chapter  and 
elected  William  A.  Guerry  head  of  the  fraternity. 
James  G.  Glass  was  elected  Grand  Treasurer.  J. 
H.  Young  was  continued  as  editor  of  the  Record. 
The  titles  of  the  national  officers  were  changed 
from  English  to  quasi  Greek  titles.  Royal  Purple 
had  added  to  it  as  a  companion  color  old  gold. 

New  Titles  for  National  Officers.  The  changes 
of  the  titles  of  the  officers  of  the  Grand  Chapter 
at  the  1883  convention  were  as  follows:  Grand 
President  to  Eminent  Grand  Archon,  Grand  Vice- 
President  to  Eminent  Deputy  Grand  Archon, 
Grand  Secretary  to  Eminent  Grand  Recorder, 
Grand  Treasurer  to  Eminent  Grand  Treasurer, 
Grand  Corresponding  Secretary  to  Eminent  Grand 
Correspondent,  Grand  Historian  to  Eminent  Grand 
Chronicler,  Grand  Door-Keeper  to  Eminent  Grand 
Warden,  and  in  addition  the  office  of  Eminent 
Grand  Herald.  The  Eminent  Grand  Archon  and 
the  Eminent  Grand  Treasurer  came  nearer  to  the 
corresponding  officers  of  the  present  time  than 
any  of  the  others.  In  a  large  sense  the  Grand 
Treasurer  for  years  had  been  the  only  real  bona- 
fide  national  officer.  The  Grand  President  had  be- 
gun by  being  head  of  the  Grand  Chapter,  rather 
than  the  national  fraternity. 

New  Titles  for  Chapter  Officers.  Until  the  1883 
convention  the  chapter  officers  as  well  as  the  na- 
tional had  been  designated  by  English  names.  The 
changes  for  the  chapter  officers  were:  president 
to  eminent  archon,  vice-president  to  eminent  dep- 
uty archon,  secretary  to  eminent  recorder,  corre- 
sponding secretary  to  eminent  correspondent, 
treasurer  to  eminent  treasurer,  historian  to  emi- 


52  PARAGRAPH  HISTORY 

nent  chronicler,  door-keeper  to  eminent  warden. 
The  office  of  eminent  herald,  which  had  not  ex- 
isted, was  created. 

The  Constitution  of  1883.  The  national  law  of 
the  present  era  in  many  respects  is  similar  to  the 
revised  constitution  of  1883.  In  a  comparison  of 
the  regulations  then  and  now,  it  will  only  be  nec- 
essary to  place  emphasis  upon  the  variations.  The 
literary  requirements  of  the  chapter  were  as  rigid 
as  of  old,  and  members  continued  to  be  held  re- 
sponsible for  a  series  of  essays.  Under  the  con- 
stitution of  1883  the  national  fraternity  continued 
to  take  an  active  interest  and  provide  laws  for 
the  minutiae  of  chapter  government.  The  old  fine 
of  one  dollar  imposed  on  an  active  member  of  a 
chapter  who  refused  to  accept  any  office  to  which 
he  was  elected  was  retained.  The  power  to  organ- 
ize new  chapters  was  vested  in  both  the  Grand 
Chapter  and  the  general  convention. 

Chapter  Correspondence  Continued.  One  of  the 
duties  of  the  Eminent  Correspondent  in  1883  was 
to  write  at  least  once  a  month  to  the  Grand 
Chapter,  and  to  every  other  chapter  at  least  once 
every  two  weeks.  This  constitution  for  the  first 
time  required  the  filing  of  a  membership  blank 
with  the  Grand  Chapter. 

When  a  Prater  Died  in  1883.  The  general  laws 
of  the  fraternity  in  1883  required  that  when  a 
chapter  member  died,  that  the  surviving  members 
should  immediately  convene,  pass  suitable  resolu- 
tions and  appoint  a  committee  to  take  charge  of 
the  body.  All  members  were  required  to  wear 
their  badges  covered  with  black  crepe.  It  was 
provided  that  the  members  acting  as  pall  bearers 
should  be  dressed  in  full  black  and  wear  a  white 
scarf  extending  from  the  left  shoulder  across  the 
breast  and  back  to  the  right  hip-bone,  and  from 
there  fall  to  the  knee-joint. 


OF  SIGMA  ALPHA  EPSILON  53 

Ritual  Part  of  Constitution.  The  laws  of  the 
fraternity  and  its  ritual  continued  in  1883  to  be 
published  under  the  same  cover;  they  were  still 
more  or  less  interwoven,  although  certain  portions 
of  the  ritual  which  formerly  had  been  included 
were  now  omitted,  and  had  been  since  the  con- 
vention of  1879,  which  had  directed  that  the  most 
intimate  secrets  of  the  fraternity  should  not  be 
put  in  print.  The  unprinted  portions,  which  were 
circulated  among  the  chapters  in  writing,  came 
to  be  generally  known  as  "secret  portion  of  the 
ritual,"  or  sometimes  as  the  "secret  portion  of 
the  constitution." 

Northern  Extension  Opposed.  Although,  in  1883, 
Pennsylvania  Delta  had  been  founded  and  the 
fraternity  had  crossed  the  Mason  and  Dixon  line, 
there  remained  a  minority  who  constantly  agitated 
against  northern  extension.  They  claimed  the  fra- 
ternity was  large  enough.  There  were  now  sixteen 
active  chapters.  Some  of  them  knew  nothing 
of  the  other  chapters.  There  were  grave  doubts  as 
to  whether  the  fraternity  should  establish  chapters 
anywhere  until  it  was  on  a  stronger  and  surer 
basis.  The  duty  of  the  fraternity  was  to  improve 
the  chapters  it  had  by  making  them  correspond 
more  regularly  with  each  other.  Admitting,  how- 
ever, that  extension  might  be  advisable,  the  South 
and  not  the  North  was  the  place  to  extend.  To 
go  into  a  northern  college  would  mean  to  lower  the 
standard  of  the  fraternity  by  taking  unworthy 
men.  Finally,  the  memories  of  the  war  were  stiii 
rife  and  the  two  sections  could  not  get  along  in 
the  same  organization.  Such  were  the  arguments 
used  by  the  opponents  of  northern  extension. 

New  Editor  of  The  Record.  J.  H.  Young,  Ken- 
tucky Chi,  resigned  the  editorship  of  the  Record 
immediately  after  the  1883  convention,  and  William 
A.  Guerry  acted  as  editor  for  the  next  two  num- 


54  PARAGRAPH  HISTORY 

bers.     Piromis  Bell,  Georgia  Beta,  was  chosen  as 
editor  early  in  1884. 

Florida  Upsilon  Founded.  Florida  Upsilon  was 
organized  by  Milton  Bryan,  Georgia  Epsilon,  who 
had  entered  the  University  of  Florida.  The  first 
men  were  initiated  Feb.  11,  1884.  The  chapter 
did  not  continue  but  was  revived  Feb.  13,  1915,  and 
started  its  new  career  with  fine  prospects. 

Missouri  Alpha  Established.  James  C.  Preston, 
Tennessee  Omega,  was  sent  to  Columbia  by  Guerry, 
the  E.  G.  A.,  to  establish  Missouri  Alpha  at  the 
University  of  Missouri.  The  installation  was  on 
May  27,  1884. 

Texas  Rho  Organized.  Texa  Rho  was  founded 
by  Thomas  C.  Barrett,  June  10,  1884,  at  the  Uni- 
versity of  Texas. 

The  Ritual  Revised.  William  A.  Guerry,  E.  G. 
A.,  revised  the  ritual  of  the  fraternity  in  1884.  He 
had  taken  De  Votie's  work  and  had  added  to  it. 

Athens  Convention  of  1884.  S.  A.  E.  met  in 
convention  at  Athens,  Ga.,  July  27,  1884.  For  the 
first  time  in  the  history  of  the  fraternity  a  delegate 
from  a  northern  chapter  was  present.  Tennessee 
Omega  was  continued  as  Grand  Chapter.  Georgia 
Beta  was  intrusted  with  the  publication  of  a  cata- 
logue. The  Oxford  gown  was  adopted  as  an  initia- 
tion robe.  William  A.  Guerry  was  continued  as 
E.  G.  A.,  James  G.  Glass  as  E.  G.  T.  and  Piromis 
Bell  as  editor  of  The  Record. 

Chapter  Names  Improved.  One  of  the  practical 
acts  of  the  1884  convention  was  to  prefix  the  state 
name  to  the  chapter  letter.  For  the  purpose  of 
clearness  in  writing  this  history,  we  have  fol- 
lowed this  custom  but  in  so  doing  have  commit- 
ted an  anachronism.  Before  this  rule  was  adopted, 
it  had  forced  its  way  in  several  instances  into 
practice. 


OF  SIGMA  ALPHA  EPSILON  65 

Glass  Becomes  E.  G.  A.  A  month  after  the  1884 
convention  William  A.  Guerry,  who  had  faithfully 
served  as  Eminent  Grand  Archon,  was  graduated 
from  the  University  of  the  South,  and  removed 
from  the  seat  of  the  Grand  Chapter.  James  G. 
Glass  was  elevated  to  this  place  by  the  Grand 
Chapter,  and  Samuel  B.  McGlohon  was  elected 
Eminent  Grand  Treasurer. 

First  State  Convention.  The  South  Carolina 
State  Association  of  Sigma  Alpha  Epsilon  was 
organized  at  Columbia,  S.  C.,  Nov.  7,  1884.  This 
was  the  first  state  association  of  Sigma  Alpha  Ep- 
silon. 

Northern  Extension  Triumphant.  Ohio  Sigma 
was  born  April  4,  1885,  and  with  its  advent  into  the 
fraternity  the  question  of  northern  extension  was 
a  settled  fact.  Ohio  Sigma  was  to  wear  the  laurels 
of  a  pioneer  in  the  north  and  become  the  progeni- 
tor of  a  line  of  chapters. 

Fraternity  Conditions  in  1885.  The  Grand  Chap- 
ter had  studied  conditions  in  the  North  and  knew 
there  was  a  big  harvest  for  the  fraternity  which 
would  enter  and  possess  the  land.  Although  the 
West  in  1885  had  many  fraternities,  their  chapter 
rolls  were  not  at  all  large  and  many  of  the  im- 
portant schools  had  but  two  or  three  chapters. 
Sigma  Alpha  Epsilon  was  enabled  by  this  condi- 
tion to  enter  many  colleges  either  ahead  or  at  the 
identical  time  that  they  were  entered  by  fra- 
ternities indigenous  to  the  soil.  In  other  instances 
it  was  there  so  immediately  after  that  the  differ- 
ence gave  no  advantage  to  the  others.  Institu- 
tions like  the  University  of  Cincinnati,  the  Uni- 
versity of  Colorado,  Denver  University,  University 
of  Missouri,  Iowa  State  College  had  only  one  rivai 
fraternity  when  Sigma  Alpha  Epsilon  entered. 
Washington  University,  Boston  University,  the 
University  of  Nebraska,  Purdue,  Bucknell  had  only 


56  PARAGRAPH  HISTORY 

two  or  three  chapters.  Many  were  like  Illinois, 
which  had  seven,  the  University  of  California, 
which  had  nine,  Allegheny,  which  had  four.  Oth- 
ers were  plainly  lacking  in  enough  chapters  to  ac- 
commodate the  fraternity  material  and  the  witness 
to  this  is  the  large  influx  of  fraternities  into  these 
schools  since  the  entrance  of  Sigma  Alpha  Ep- 
silon. 

Effect  of  Increased  College  Attendance.  There 
has  been  a  greater  factor  than  the  lack  of  rival 
chapters  which  has  aided  Sigma  Alpha  Epsilon 
in  its  winning  of  the  West.  During  the  years  that 
have  followed  1885,  the  attendance  at  all  the 
northern  colleges  has  wonderfully  increased.  Col- 
leges which  then  had  two  hundred  and  three  hun- 
dred students  have  become  universities  with  two 
thousand  and  three  thousand  students. 

Northern  Extension  Proceeds.  Pennsylvania 
Delta  came  in  1887,  Ohio  Sigma  in  1885.  Two  years 
later  the  start  was  made  in  earnest.  Michigan 
Alpha  at  Adrian  College  was  the  first  fruits.  Two 
months  later  Pennsylvania  Omega  at  Allegheny 
College,  flung  aloft  the  purple  and  gold  banner. 
Then  Ohio  Delta  at  Ohio  Wesleyan  University  ap- 
peared. 

S.  A.  E.  in  1885.  William  E.  Wooten  wrote 
from  Georgia  Beta,  where  he  was  E.  A.  to  the  E. 
G.  A.,  in  September,  1885,  a  letter  which  has  some 
interesting  data  about  S.  A.  E.  at  that  time. 

"On  examining  the  old  catalogue  and  other  pa- 
pers and  Records  in  my  possession  I  find  that  to 
send  one  to  each  of  the  alumni  we  should  have  at 
least  1,400  circulars.  This  is  a  rough  guess,  but  it  is 
the  lowest  number  at  which  I  would  like  to  place 
it.  I  really  believe  that  our  living  alumni  num- 
ber 1,500  or  in  that  neighborhood." 

Two  Chapters  Revived.  North  Carolina  Xi  at 
the  University  of  North  Carolina,  which  had  slept 


OF  SIGMA  ALPHA  EPSILON  57 

since  the  civil  war,  was  revived  the  Commencement 
Week  of  1885  at  Chapel  Hill,  and  the  following 
October,  South  Carolina  Gamma,  which  had  had  a 
brief  career  ten  years  before  at  Wofford  College, 
came  to  life  again. 

Nashville  Convention  of  1885.  The  Nashville 
Convention  of  1885  convened  Oct.  20.  James  G. 
Glass,  as  E.  G.  A.,  called  the  convention  to  order. 
Tenn.  Omega  was  to  relinquish  the  reins  of  govern- 
ment and  go  down  in  the  history  of  the  fraternity 
.as  the  last  of  the  Grand  Chapters.  Glass  in  his  re- 
port, speaking  of  the  change  of  government,  said, 
"The  varied  duties  and  the  constant  and  unwearied 
attention  which  the  management  and  supervision 
of  thirty-five  active  chapters,  spread  over  a  section 
of  country  extending  from  Missouri  to  Texas, 
from  Florida  to  Ohio,  entails  upon  the  officers  of 
the  Grand  Chapter  more  work  than  they  can  per- 
form as  college  students.  Whatever  may  be  the 
zeal  and  willingness  of  any  chapter  in  the  cause 
of  Sigma  Alpha  Epsilon,  it  is  not  right  to  saddle 
a  number  of  young  men,  who  have  been  sent 
away  from  home  to  receive  an  education,  with  the 
management  of  a  large  and  growing  fraternity." 
The  system  of  government  by  a  Supreme  Council 
was  adopted. 

The  Supreme  Council  Plan.  The  new  system  of 
government  adopted  by  the  1885  convention  pro- 
vided that  the  convention  should  elect  a  Supreme 
Council,  consisting  of  six  members.  The  chairman 
of  this  council  was  to  be  the  official  head  of  the 
fraternity,  and  also  its  national  secretary  and 
treasurer.  His  title  was  to  be  Eminent  Supreme 
Archon.  The  members  of  the  council  were  re- 
quired to  be  residents  of  the  same  city.  The  Emi- 
nent Supreme  Archon  of  1885  was,  in  effect,  the 
sole  administrative  officer,  the  other  members  of 
the  Supreme  Council  having  little  or  nothing  to 
do  with  the  control  of  affairs. 


58  PARAGRAPH  HISTORY 

The  First  E.  S.  A.  Thomas  S.  Mell,  Georgia 
Beta,  was  elected  by  the  1885  convention  as  the 
first  Eminent  Supreme  Archon  of  Sigma  Alpha 
Epsilon. 

Province  System  Instituted.  The  Supreme  Coun- 
cil was  directed  by  the  1885  convention  to  divide 
the  fraternity  into  provinces  of  from  four  to  eight 
chapters  each,  and  to  appoint  one  of  the  chap- 
ters in  each  division  the  Grand  Chapter  of  the 
province.  The  plan  as  adopted  contained  a  provi- 
sion that  each  chapter  of  the  fraternity  must  cor- 
respond monthly  with  every  other  chapter  of  the 
fraternity. 

The  First  Provinces.  The  Eminent  Supreme 
Archon  announced  the  arrangement  of  the  six  prov- 
inces with  the  Grand  Chapter  for  each,  Nov.  15, 
1916.  They  were  named  with  the  letters  of  the 
English  alphabet.  The  arrangement  of  the  prov- 
inces was  as  follows:  Province  A,  Georgia  Beta, 
Grand  Chapter,  Georgia  Epsilon,  Georgia  Psi; 
Province  B,  South  Carolina  Delta,  Grand  Chapter, 
South  Carolina  Gamma,  South  Carolina  Mu;  Prov- 
ince C,  North  Carolina  Theta,  Grand  Chapter, 
North  Carolina  Xi,  Virginia  Omicron,  Virginia 
Sigma,  Virginia  Tau,  Virginia  Pi;  Province  D, 
Kentucky  Chi,  Grand  Chapter,  Kentucky  Epsilon, 
Kentucky  Kappa,  Ohio  Sigma,  Missouri  Alpha; 
Province  E,  Tennessee  Zeta,  Grand  Chapter,  Ten- 
nessee Eta,  Tennessee  Lambda,  Tennessee  Nu,  Ten- 
nessee Omega;  Province  F,  Mississippi  Gamma, 
Grand  Chapter,  Texas  Rho,  Alabama  Iota.  In 
1893,  the  Chattanooga  convention  substituted 
Greek  letters. 

The  Province  Archons.  Archons  appointed  to 
supervise  the  new  provinces  were:  Prov- 
ince A,  Peyton  H.  Snook,  Georgia  Beta;  Province 
B,  William  H.  Thomas,  South  Carolina  Delta; 
Province  C,  Oscar  L.  Clark,  North  Carolina  Theta; 


OF  SIGMA  ALPHA  EPSILON  59 

Province  D,  Richard  J.  Owen,  Kentucky  Chi;  Prov- 
ince E,  William  B.  White.  Mississippi  was  Grand 
Chapter  of  Province  F.  The  Eminent  Archons  of 
the  province  Grand  Chapters  were  the  Eminent 
Grand  Archons  of  the  provinces. 

Atlanta  Convention  of  1886.  The  Atlanta  con- 
vention of  1886  was  in  session  three  days,  opening 
August  24th.  A  special  constitutional  convention 
was  provided  for.  Thomas  S.  Mell  was  re-elected 
E.  S.  A. 

Tennessee  Omega  Keystone  Laid.  It  was  a 
happy  day  for  Tennessee  Omega  and  an  auspici- 
ous one  for  the  fraternity,  Oct.  23,  1886,  when  the 
Sewanee  chapter  had  a  ceremonial  laying  of  the 
keystone  to  its  chapter  house.  It  was  the  first 
house  to  be  owned  by  a  chapter  of  Sigma  Alpha 
Epsilon. 

Harry  Bunting  Initiated.  Harry  Bunting  went 
to  Clarksville  to  college  and  Tennessee  Zeta  in- 
itiated him  in  the  fall  of  1886.  He  was  only  a 
little  preparatory  school  boy,  but  he  had  two 
older  brothers,  Robert  and  William,  in  the  chap- 
ter and  Greek  society  methods  were  easier  in 
those  days.  George  Bunting,  the  fourth  brother, 
was  initiated  five  years  later. 

The  Catalogue  of  1886.  The  catalogue' of  1886 
was  a  handsome  publication,  comprehensive  in  its 
matter,  and  as  a  piece  of  book-making  was  some- 
thing of  which  to  be  proud.  This  volume  has  al- 
ways been  called  the  catalogue  of  1886,  because 
this  was  the  year  that  Georgia  Beta  completed 
the  manuscript.  It  came  from  the  press  the 
spring  of  1887. 

The  Third  Northern  Chapter.  A  new-risen  star 
in  the  North  marked  the  early  days  of  1887. 
Michigan  Alpha,  at  Adrian  College,  commenced 
to  glitter  in  the  S.  A.  E.  constellation  January  22. 

Pennsylvania  Omega  Founded.    Four  chums  at 


60  PARAGRAPH  HISTORY 

Allegheny  College  in  1885  formed  the  C.  O.  V., 
and  it  prospered  and  occupied  so  prominent  a 
place  in  the  college  world  at  Meadville  that  its 
need  of  a  charter  from  the  national  fraternity  was 
impressed  upon  it.  The  application  for  a  charter 
to  S.  A.  E.  was  made  in  December,  1886.  The 
charter  was  issued  and  on  March  5th  the  chapter 
was  installed. 

Constitutional  Convention  of  1887.  The  conven- 
vention  of  1886  had  authorized  a  constitutional 
convention.  It  was  held  Dec.  27,  1887,  at  Colum- 
bia, S.  C.,  and  its  work  consisted  in  a  codification 
of  the  existing  laws. 

Two  National  Conventions.  The  national  con- 
vention held  at  Columbia,  S.  C.,  in  1887  met  Dec. 
28,  the  day  after  the  holding  of  the  constitutional 
convention.  Thomas  S.  Mell  was  re-elected  E.  S. 
A.  and  John  G.  Capers,  South  Carolina  Lambda, 
was  elected  editor  of  The  Board.  The  national  con- 
vention of  1888  was  held  at  Nashville.  A  charter 
was  granted  for  a  chapter  at  the  University  of 
Michigan.  Thomas  S.  Mell  was  re-elected  E.  S.  A. 
and  John  G.  Capers  was  re-elected  editor  of  The 
Record. 

Ohio  Delta  Founded.  Ohio  Delta  was  the  only 
chapter  to  come  into  the  fraternity  in  1888.  The 
chapter  was  organized  through  Ira  Leighley,  who* 
the  year  before  had  been  a  student  at  Mt.  Union. 
The  chapter  was  installed  the  evening  of  Novem- 
ber 16th.  Later  the  chapter  initiated  Albert  M. 
Austin,  whose  services  to  the  fraternity  were  to 
be  invaluable. 

Michigan  lota-Beta  Founded.  The  northern  Ar. 
gonauts  of  Sigma  Alpha  Epsilon  set  sail  from  the 
ports  of  every  chapter  as  the  last  decade  of  the 
nineteenth  century  grew  near.  They  were  not 
mere  scatterlings,  nor  even  adventurers,  but  schol- 


OF  SIGMA  ALPHA  EPSILON  61 

ars,  who,  as  they  went  from  the  seat  of  their 
mother  chapter  to  other  institutions,  carried  with 
them  the  flame  of  love  and  loyalty  to  Sigma  Alpha 
Epsilon.  Such  was  Frederick  G.  Cadwell,  a  mem- 
ber of  Michigan  Alpha,  who  in  the  fall  of  1888 
entered  the  University  of  Michigan.  Michigan  has 
ever  been  a  fruitful  field  for  fraternities,  and  it 
was  not  long  before  Cadwell  had  surrounded  him- 
self with  a  little  group  which  petitioned  Sigma 
Alpha  Epsilon  for  a  charter.  The  petition  was 
signed  by  Edward  C.  Nichols,  Albert  Z.  Horning, 
Frederick  R.  Angell,  Charles  J.  Barr,  Frederick 
E.  Wood.  The  granting  of  the  charter  waited  upon 
the  action  of  the  Nashville  convention  of  1888, 
where  affirmative  action  was  taken.  The  date 
of  the  installation  of  the  chapter  was  January  12, 
1889.  From  this  chapter  came  two  national  offi- 
cers: Judge  A.  J.  Tuttle,  Honorary  Eminent  Su- 
preme Archon,  and  Elmer  B.  Sanford,  editor  of 
The  Record. 

Greek  Meets  Greek.  The  fraternity  world  was 
enlivened  in  the  autumn  of  1889  by  a  dispute 
which  arose  between  the  S.  A.  E.  and  the  Chi 
Phi  chapter  at  the  University  of  Georgia.  Each 
claimed  the  other  was  initiating  men  before  they 
were  matriculated.  Chi  Phi  challenged  S.  A.  E.  to 
battle,  but  declared  that  S.  A.  E.  must  not  choose 
revolvers.  B.  C.  Collier,  of  Georgia  Beta,  and 
one  of  the  Chi  Phi  members  had  a  personal  en- 
counter in  which  the  purple  and  gold  banner 
maintained  its  supremacy. 

Ohio  Epsilon  Established.  Henry  Dannenbaum, 
of  Virginia  Pi,  was  visiting  friends  in  Cincinnati 
in  1889  and  met  a  number  of  students  of  the 
University  of  Cincinnati.  He  obtained  a  charter 
from  the  Eminent  Supreme  Archon  for  a  chapter. 
So  it  was  that  Ohio  Epsilon  came  into  being  No- 
vember 22,  1889.  The  popular  S.  A.  E.  song, 
"Sing,  Brothers,  Sing,"  was  written  by  George  H. 


62  PARAGRAPH  HISTORY 

Kress  and   others  of  this   chapter.     Albrecht  F. 
Leue,  E.  S.  D.  A.,  is  a  son  of  Ohio  Epsilon. 

S.  A.  E.  in  1889.  Sigma  Alpha  Epsilon  was  grow- 
ing and  prospering  in  1889.  It  had  thirty-two  ac- 
tive chapters  and  thirteen  alumni  associations. 

Charlotte  Convention  of  1889.  When  the  Char- 
lotte, S.  C.,  convention  came,  it  was  bothered 
very  little  by  either  politics  or  business.  It  was 
the  gayest  kind  of  a  gay  social  event.  The  North 
Carolina  alumni  had  exerted  themselves  beyond 
measure  to  entertain  the  delegates  and  they  met 
with  brilliant  success.  The  sessions  of  the  con- 
vention were  called  to  order  December  26th.  Mell 
was  re-elected  Eminent  Supreme  Archon,  and 
Capers, editor  of  The  Record  by  unanimous  votes. 
A  charter  was  granted  the  Georgia  School  of 
Technology. 

Supreme  Council  in  1890.  The  members  of  the 
Supreme  Council  in  1890  were  B.  C.  Collier,  Guy 
C.  Hamilton,  D.  S.  Sanford,  James  G.  Basinger, 
Edward  W.  Charbonnier,  with  Thomas  S.  Mell  as 
E.  S.  A.  W©  have  already  indicated  that  the  Su- 
preme Council  methods  of  that  day  were  very 
different  from  the  present,  when  each  member 
of  the  council  is  the  head  of  a  department,  while 
in  1890,  its  operations  were  as  described  by  Col- 
lier, "We  simply  met  from  time  to  time  and  en- 
dorsed whatever  the  Eminent  Supreme  Archon 
had  done." 

The  Extension  Movement.  At  the  beginning  of 
the  last  decade  of  the  nineteenth  century,  the 
various  chapters  showed  that  while  they  were 
not  neglecting  building  up  their  own  vitality,  they 
were  keenly  interested  in  the  extension  move- 
ment then  going  on  in  the  fraternity.  H.  H.  Cow- 
an expressed  very  vividly  the  temper  of  the  fra- 
ternity concerning  extension  in  these  words:  "No 
one  will  believe  that  a  few  good  chapters  are 


OF  SIGMA  ALPHA  EPSILON  63 

preferable  to  many  good  ones.  If  we  look  at  our 
rivals  we  will  see  that  the  strongest  are  the  most 
aggressive,  and  although  some  of  them  have  a 
chapter  roll  twice  the  length  of  ours,  yet  they 
do  not  consider  that  they  have  chapters  enough, 
but  on  the  contrary  lose  no  favorable  opportunity 
of  adding  another.  No  fraternity  ever  grew  strong 
by  ceasing  to  grow.  The  successful  carrying  out 
of  a  wise  extension  policy  cannot  fail  to  add  ma- 
terially in  the  successful  solution  of  other  prob- 
lems. 

Georgia  Phi  Begins  Career.  George  Freeman,  a 
brother  of  Henry  and  Davis  Freeman,  of  Georgia 
Beta,  entered  the  Georgia  School  of  Technology 
in  1889.  Encouraged  by  his  brothers,  and  by  the 
Georgia  Beta  men,  Freeman  industriously  worked 
on  building  a  local.  It  was  upon  his  work  that 
the  Charlotte  convention  based  its  grant  of  a 
charter.  Collier  went  to  Atlanta  and  on  March  8, 
1890,  initiated  Freeman  and  his  men.  This  chap- 
ter has  given  the  fraternity  two  Eminent  Supreme 
Archons,  G.  Hendree  Harrison  and  Floyd  Furlow, 
as  well  as  Charles  Frederick  Stone,  an  Eminent 
Supreme  Treasurer. 

Pennsylvania  Sigma-Phi.  A  boyhood  friend  of 
H.  H.  Cowan's,  Chester  N.  Ames,  entered  Dickin- 
son College.  Between  then  and  the  time  of  the 
birth  of  the  chapter,  Ames  had  fifty  letters  from 
Cowan,  filled  with  advice,  direction  and  sugges- 
tion about  founding  a  chapter.  Ames,  believing 
that  the  time  for  action  had  come,  when  the  col- 
lege opened  in  September,  1890,  pledged  George 
P.  Singer  and  Thurston  M.  Simmons.  Nine  others 
were  brought  into  the  band,  and  than  they  met 
and  signed  a  petition  for  a  charter  from  Sigma 
Alpha  Epsilon.  The  charter  was  forthcoming, 
and  October  llth  was  named  as  the  day  to  install 
the  chapter.  This  duty  was  assigned  to  Cowan. 
Stanley  Rinehart  came  to  assist  in  the  ceremo- 


64  PARAGRAPH  HISTORY 

nies.  The  other  fraternities  were  soon  aware  of 
the  presence  of  a  new  band  of  Greeks,  and  that 
night,  soon  after  the  S.  A.  E.'s  had  returned  to 
their  rooms  in  the  dormintory,  their  Greek  friends 
sent  ringing  through  the  hall:  "Rah,  rah,  rah, 
Dickinson!  Sigma  Alpha  Epsilon." 

Cincinnati  Convention  of  1890.  The  Cincinnati 
convention  of  1890  will  always  be  distinguished 
as  the  first  national  convention  held  in  the  North. 
The  convention  opened  December  29.  The  con- 
stitution was  amended  so  that  instead  of  the  mem- 
bers of  the  Supreme  Council  being  all  residents  of 
the  same  city,  at  least  one  was  to  be  elected  from 
each  province.  The  Supreme  Council  was  em- 
powered to  choose  a  chapter  to  publish  a  cata- 
logue. Thomas  S.  Mell  announced  his  retirement 
as  E.  S.  A.  John  G.  Capers,  South  Carolina  Lamb- 
da, was  chosen  to  succeeed  him.  H.  H.  Cowan 
was  elected  editor  of  The  Record.  The  new  mem- 
bers of  the  Supreme  Council,  one  being  chosen 
from  each  province,  were:  Province  A,  Stanley 
Hugh  Dent;  Province  B,  Benjamin  H.  Harvin; 
Province  C,  R.  P.  Mahon;  Province  D,  Frederick 
L.  Taft  and  Charles  E.  Burnham.  At  the  banquet 
William  L.  Lowrie  responded  to  the  toast:  "Let 
the  Limits  of  Our  Growth  be  Only  the  Nation's 
Boundaries,"  a  sentiment  which  was  frequently 
quoted  throughout  the  fraternity  for  several  years 
after. 

Constitution  of  1891.  The  1891  constitution 
provided  for  the  annual  conventions,  and  retained 
the  old  provision  which  allowed  a  chapter  to  send 
from  one  to  ten  delegates  to  a  convention.  The 
voting  on  the  various  questions  was  by  chapters, 
with  each  chapter  entitled  to  one  vote.  The  con- 
stitution of  1891  provided  for  a  Supreme  Council 
of  six  members;  each  province  was  entitled  to 
one  of  these.  The  Supreme  Council  had  the 
power,  which  now  is  vested  in  only  the  national 


OF  SIGMA  ALPHA  EPSILON  65 

convention,  of  granting  charters,  although  where 
they  were  issued  by  the  Supreme  Council  that 
body  was  required  to  have  the  consent  of  the 
chapters. 

Colorado  Chi  was  founded  at  the  University  of 
Colorado,  April  11,  1891. 

Rise  of  New  York  Alpha.  William  A.  Clarke 
was  a  Cornell  student,  who  desired  a  chapter 
of  Sigma  Alpha  Epsilon  there.  In  the  Spring  of 
1891,  discovering  that  there  was  a  chapter  of 
Sima  Alpha  Epsilon  at  Allegheny  College,  he 
wrote  to  Pennsylvania  Omega  inquiring  the 
necessary  steps  to  present  a  petition  to  the 
fraternity,  and  soliciting  the  support  of  that 
chapter.  A  prompt  reply  came  from  Meadville 
with  the  necessary  instructions  and  assurances  of 
support.  In  the  middle  of  April  Clarke  received 
word  that  Pennsylvania  Omega  had  secured  the 
charter,  and  that  Elmer  Higley,  of  the  chapter, 
was  coming  to  install  the  chapter.  Higley  arrived 
on  the  evening  of  April  22,  and  after  dinner  he 
initiated  the  three  men  in  the  parlors  of  the  Ithaca 
Hotel.  This  chapter  has  given  the  fraternity  many 
fine  workers.  Among  these  have  been  Don  R. 
Almy,  E.  S.  A.,  and  author  of  the  S.  A.  E.  Stand- 
ard Accounts  and  Charles  P.  Wood,  editor  of  The 
Record  for  two  terms. 

Colorado  Zeta  Appears.  Colorado  Zeta  is  the 
child  of  Colorado  Chi.  It  was  installed  December 
18,  1891,  at  Denver  University,  and  named  by  the 
Colorado  Chi  men  "Zeta,"  in  honor  of  Harry  Bunk 
ing's  chapter,  Tennessee  Zeta.  One  of  the  charr 
ter  members  of  the  chapter  was  George  D.  Kim- 
ball,  who  served  the  fraternity  as  E.  S.  A.  and 
E.  S.  T. 

Work  Started  on  1893  Catalogue.  Pennsylvania 
Sigma-Phi  was  selected  in  1891  by  the  Supreme 
Council  to  edit  and  publish  the  catalogue. 

Atlanta  Convention  of  1891.     The  Atlanta  Con- 


66  PARAGRAPH  HISTORY 

vention  of  1891  did  many  things.  It  separated  uie 
ritual  and  the  constitution,  it  authorized  the  puo- 
lication  of  the  Phi  Alpha,  it  adopted  the  violet  as 
the  S.  A.  E.  flower,  it  divided  the  office  of  E.  S.  A. 
and  E.  S.  T.,  and  it  forbade  the  initiation  of  hon- 
orary members  It  met  December  28.  Harry  Bunt- 
ing was  unanimously  tendered  the  position  of  E.  S. 
A.,  but  declined.  J.  Washington  Moore,  Tennessee 
Nu,  was  elected  E.  S.  A.;  John  G.  Capers  was  elected 
E.  S.  T.  and  H.  H.  Cowan  was  re-elected  editor. 
The  law  was  again  changed  as  to  membership  on 
the  Supreme  Council,  it  being  provided  that  the 
executive  power  of  the  fraternity  shall  be  vested 
in  a  Supreme  Council  consisting  of  six  members, 
and  the  officers  of  this  Supreme  Council  shall  be 
an  Eminent  Supreme  Archon,  an  Eminent  Su- 
preme Treasurer,  and  four  Province  Presidents, 
to  be  elected  one  from  each  province. 

The  Mother  Chapter.  One  of  the  cherished  hopes 
of  Harry  Bunting  was  to  see  the  mother  chapter 
of  the  fraternity  revived.  The  attempt  of  1886, 
which  had  had  so  much  promise,  had  been  short- 
lived. Bunting  spent  the  summer  of  1891  at  Flor- 
ence, Ala.,  and  while  there  he  met  William  M. 
Adams,  an  Alabama  student.  He  agreed  to  en- 
deavor to  re-establish  Alabama  Mu  and  Bunting 
assisted  by  a  company  of  S.  A.  E.'s'  initiated  him, 
August  25.  Adams  returned  to  Tuscaloosa  with 
the  opening  of  the  college  year.  He  soon  gathered 
a  group  of  others  about  him  and  Alabama  Mu 
lived  again. 

Recovery  of  the  Original  Minutes.  Very  little 
was  known  of  the  early  history  of  the  fraternity  in 
the  nineties.  Harry  Bunting  realized  the  value  of 
such  knowledge  and  went  to  Tuscaloosa  in  search 
of  anything  which  would  cast  light  on  the  first 
days  of  S.  A.  E.  In  an  old  garret,  forgotten  by 
their  keeper,  he  found  the  original  minutes  of  the 
mother  chapter  containing  the  records  of  every 
meeting  from  March  9,  1856,  until  that  eventful 


OF  SIGMA  ALPHA  EPSILON  67 

farewell  meeting,  January  9,  1858.    They  had  been 
lost  for  thirty-four  years. 

The  8.  A.  E.  Yell.  Its  official  form  as  adopted 
in  1892  is: 

"Phi  Alpha  Alicazee!     Phi  Alpha  Alicazon! 
Sigma  Alpha !   Sigma  Alpha !   Sigma  Alpha  Epsilon ! 
Rah  rah!     Bon  ton!     Sigma  Alpha  Epsilon! 
Rah  rah!     Bon  ton!     Sigma  Alpha  Epsilon! 
Ruh  rah!     Ruh  rah!     Ruh  rah  ree! 
Run  rah!     Ruh  rah!     S.  A.  E." 

The  Bunting  Specials.  Certain  printings  became 
known  in  the  fraternity  as  "the  Bunting  Specials." 
Harry  Bunting  was  learning  the  printers'  trade  in 
the  composing  room  of  the  Atlanta  Constitution  as 
a  means  of  getting  a  grip  on  the  publishing  busi- 
ness. He  finished  work  at  four  o'clock  in  the 
morning  and  then  would  write  an  S.  A.  E.  bulletin 
of  five  hundred  or  a  thousand  words,  and  then  reel- 
ing off  as  many  copies  as  he  wished  to  use,  would 
mail  them  at  dawn. 

The  Extension  Year.  The  year  1892  is  destined 
to  be  remembered  in  the  annals  of  Sigma  Alpha 
Epsilon.  It  was  a  year  of  magnificent  chapter 
building  such  as  the  fraternity  had  never  seen  be- 
fore. Eight  chapters  were  founded  and  their  or- 
ganization gave  Sigma  Alpha  Epsilon  a  chain 
which  reached  from  the  shores  of  the  Atlantic  to 
the  shores  of  the  Pacific. 

Indiana  Alpha  Born.  First  of  the  many  chapters 
established  in  1892  was  Indiana  Alpha,  which  was 
installed  at  Franklin  College  February  10. 

California  Alpha  Founded.  When  Stanford  Uni- 
versity opened  its  doors  in  1891  there  were  two 
loyal  sons  of  Minerva  on  the  coast  who  were  deeply 
interested  in  seeing  a  chapter  of  the  fraternity 
instituted  at  Palo  Alto.  William  Mack  and  Edwin 
Du  Bose  Smith  were  the  men  of  the  hour  for 


68  PARAGRAPH  HISTORY 

Sigma  Alpha  Bpsilon  at  Stanford.  They  pledged 
the  men  who  became  the  charter  members  of  Cali- 
fornia Alpha  on  March  5,  1892. 

Missouri  Beta  Nascent.  The  Knights  of  the 
Green  Umbrella  was  a  local  society  at  Washing- 
ton University  in  1892  which,  joining  with  another 
local,  became  the  R.  S.  R.  and  then  a  chapter  of 
Sigma  Alpha  Epsilon.  The  chapter  was  installed 
April  30,  1892. 

S.  A.  E.  in  New  England.  H.  C.  Burger  of  Ohio 
Sigma  and  George  K.  Denton  of  Ohio  Delta  had 
entered  Boston  University.  They  scanned  the 
field  watching  for  an  advantage.  A  spark  was 
needed  to  kindle  the  flame,  and  that  spark  came 
in  the  person  of  Harry  Bunting,  who  was  in  New 
York  City.  He  came  and  stayed  a  week  with 
Burger  and  Denton.  Massachusetts  Beta-Upsilon 
at  Boston  University  was  commenced  carefully 
and  systematically.  The  first  man  was  pledged. 
With  the  work  started,  Bunting  returned  to  New 
York  City.  The  Ohio  men  continued  the  work  and 
succeeded  in  adding  five  others.  The  chapter  be- 
came Beta-Upsilon,  the  two  letters  representing 
the  name  of  the  school.  April  29  ought  to  be  a 
memorable  day  in  the  calendar  of  New  England 
S.  A.  E.'s.  Then  the  first  chapter  was  established. 

Pennsylvania  Alpha-Zeta  Initiated.  The  found- 
ing of  Pennsylvania  Alpha-Zeta  came  about  in  this 
way.  George  H.  Bunting  was  visiting  his  ma- 
ternal grandfather  in  Steubenville,  Ohio,  when  he 
came  in  touch  with  H.  H.  Cowan.  When  Cowan 
told  Bunting  of  negotiations  he  had  with  George 
L.  W.  Price  of  Pittsburgh,  a  student  at  Pennsyl- 
vania State  College,  looking  to  the  founding  of  a 
chapter,  Bunting  at  once  joined  forces  with 
Cowan.  Stanley  M.  Rinehart,  another  Michigan 
Alpha  Man,  who  lived  in  Pittsburgh,  lent  his  good 
offices  to  the  work  and  in  the  meantime  Price  was 


OF  SIGMA  ALPHA  EPSILON  69 

not  idle  at  the  State  College.  He  pledged  eight 
good  fellows  whom  Cowan  and  Rinehart  met  at 
Bellefont  and  initiated.  The  chapter  was 
named  Alpha-Zeta  in  honor  of  the  chapters  of 
Cowan  and  Bunting. 

Genesis  of  Ohio  Theta.  William  L.  Cleland,  who 
had  been  a  student  at  Mt.  Union  College  and  knew 
Sigma  Alpha  Epsilon  there  was  the  organizer  of 
Ohio  Theta.  He  pledged  a  fine  company  of  fel- 
lows. The  most  absolute  secrecy  was  maintained 
about  the  formation  of  the  chapter  and  it  was  the 
intention  to  allow  no  word  of  its  coming  to  escape 
until  the  third  of  June,  the  date  of  its  installation. 
The  chapter  had  fourteen  charter  members. 

Connecticut  Alpha  was  installed  at  Trinity  Col- 
lege, Hartford,  November  11,  1892.  L.  J.  Doolittle 
of  New  York  Alpha  was  the  founder  of  the  chap- 
ter. The  chapter  disbanded  in  1899. 

inauguration  of  Massachusetts  lota-Tau.  Massa- 
chusetts lota-Tau  came  into  the  fraternity  at 
Thanksgiving  time.  Its  birthday  was  November 
25,  1892.  Beginning  in  late  November  with  four 
charter  men,  the  chapter  had  nineteen  in  June.  It 
took  the  initial  letters  of  its  college  for  its  name. 
Leslie  W.  Millar,  one  of  its  early  members,  has 
served  as  Eminent  Supreme  Recorder. 

The  Auburndales.  The  second  initiation  of 
Massachusetts  lota-Tau  was  held  at  the  Woodlawn 
Hotel,  Auburndale,  Mass.,  December  30,  1892.  It 
grew  to  be  the  custom  for  the  New  England  chap- 
ters to  gather  here  and  hold  their  joint  initiations. 
The  events  took  on  the  name  "Auburndales." 

The  Hustler.  The  private  publication  of  the 
fraternity  now  known  as  the  Phi  Alpha  was  first 
called  The  Hustler.  Harry  Bunting  and  George 
Bunting,  his  brother,  were  the  founders  of  this 
magazine.  It  appeared  September  1,  1892. 


70  PARAGRAPH  HISTORY 

Ohio  State  Association  of  S.  A.  E.  The  Ohio 
State  Association  of  S.  A.  E.  was  organized  at  Co- 
lumbus, June  3,  1892,  and  H.  Lindale  Smith  was 
elected  president.  As  the  S.  A.  E.'s  were  gathered 
at  the  banquet  table  that  evening  their  distin- 
guished brother,  William  McKinley,  appeared  to 
express  his  regrets  that  he  could  not  enjoy  the 
banquet  with  them  as  he  was  leaving  for  Minne- 
apolis to  preside  over  the  Republican  National  Con- 
vention. | 

Province  Delta  in  1892.  Province  Delta  in  1892 
had  twenty  chapters.  The  most  eastern  was 
Massachusetts  Beta-Upsilon  and  the  most  western 
California  Alpha. 

Chattanooga  Convention  of  1892.  The  Chatta- 
nooga Convention  of  1892  was  December  28.  The 
convention  provided  that  the  Supreme  Council 
should  be  composed  of  the  Eminent  Supreme 
Archon,  Eminent  Supreme  Treasurer,  the  Editor 
of  The  Record  and  two  alumni.  A  new  honorary 
archonship  was  established  to  be  designated  Past 
Eminent  Supreme  Archon.  The  province  was  re- 
districted.  A  fraternity  flag  was  adopted.  J.  Wash- 
ington Moore  was  re-elected  E.  S.  A.,  H.  H.  Cowan 
was  re-elected  Editor  and  Albert  M.  Austin  was 
elected  E.  S.  T. 

The  Fraternity  Flag.  The  S.  A.  E.  flag  adopted 
by  the  Chattanooga  convention  was  from  a  design 
offered  by  H.  H.  Cowan.  The  background  of  the 
flag  is  royal  purple  with  a  corner  of  old  gold,  the 
size  and  shape  of  the  corner  being  the  same  as 
the  blue  field  in  the  American  flag.  Upon  the 
gold  corner  appears  the  letters  4>  A  in  royal  purple. 
In  the  center  of  the  purple  field  are  the  letters 
2  A  E  in  gold.  Immediately  beneath  the  gold  cor- 
ner are  the  golden  stars,  one  for  each  founder. 

The  Honorary  Eminent  Supreme  Archon.  The 
act  creating  the  office  of  Past  Eminent  Supreme 


OF  SIGMA  ALPHA  EPSILON  71 

Archon  provided  that  it  should  be  filled  by  a  dis- 
tinguished alumnus.  This  office  still  remains  in 
the  National  laws  but  the  1909  convention  changed 
the  title  from  Past  Eminent  Supreme  Archon  to 
Honorary  Eminent  Supreme  Archon.  It  has  been 
filled  by  Postmaster-General  William  L.  Wilson, 
Washington  City  Rho,  1892-1898;  Justice  C.  B. 
Howry,  Mississippi  Gamma,  of  the  U.  S.  Court  of 
Claims,  1898-1904;  Secretary  of  War  Jacob  M. 
Dickinson,  Tennessee  Nu,  1904-1906;  John  B.  Ru- 
dulph,  Alabama  Mu,  last  surviving  founder,  1906- 
1909;  William  C.  Levere,  Illinois  Psi-Omega,  Fra- 
ternity Historian,  1909;  Governor  Albert  Gilchrist, 
North  Carolina  Rho-Rho,  1910;  William  C.  Levere, 
Illinois  Psi-Omega,  Fraternity  Historian,  1910-1912; 
Bishop  William  A.  Guerry,  Tennessee  Omega,  1912- 
1914;  Federal  Judge  Arthur  J.  Tuttle,  Michigan 
Iota-Beta,  1914-1916. 

New  Province  Boundaries.  The  convention  of 
1892  made  a  thorough  re-districting  of  the  prov- 
inces increasing  the  number  from  four  to  seven. 

Entrance  of  Massachusetts  Gamma.  Massachu- 
setts Gamma,  at  Harvard  University,  was  in- 
stalled March  17,  1893.  The  initiation  was  held  at 
Auburndale,  Massachusetts.  Gamma  has  been  rep- 
resented on  the  Supreme  Council  by  two  Eminent 
Supreme  Recorders,  Howard  P.  Nash  and  Edward 
H.  Virgin,  and  by  two  editors  of  The  Record,  Her- 
bert Lakin  and  Edward  Mellus. 

Indiana  Beta  Arises.  Harold  U.  Wallace  must 
always  be  regarded  as  the  first  man  in  the  his- 
tory of  Indiana  Beta  of  Sigma  Alpha  Epsilon  at 
Purdue  University.  In  1893  the  Lafayette  school 
had  only  five  fraternities,  though  the  material  for 
chapters  was  plentiful.  Wallace  was  one  of  a 
number  who  decided  to  bring  a  new  charter  to 
the  university.  He  had  heard  of  Sigma  Alpha 
Epsilon  and  of  the  chapter  at  Franklin  College. 


72  PARAGRAPH  HISTORY 

Wallace  wrote  to  Carl  D.  Hazelton,  of  the  Frank- 
lin chapter,  and  received  a  letter  generously  prom- 
ising all  the  support  that  Indiana  Alpha  was  capa- 
ble of  giving.  A  charter  was  secured,  and  on  May 
18th  the  chapter  was  initiated  by  an  installing 
committee  which  came  from  Franklin. 

Dawn  of  Nebraska  Lambda-Pi.  Arthur  J.  Tuttle, 
Michigan  Iota-Beta,  received  a  letter  from  Miss 
Lola  Paddock  in  the  college  year  of  1892-3  urging 
a  chapter  of  S.  A.  E.  at  the  University  of  Ne- 
braska where  she  was  a  student.  The  year  be- 
fore she  had  been  at  Michigan  and  the  two  were 
friends.  Tuttle  opened  a  correspondence  with 
Willard  P.  Bross,  whose  name  Miss  Paddock  had 
sent  him.  Bross,  obedient  to  directions  from  Tut- 
tle, gathered  his  friends  in  close  bonds.  A  char- 
ter was  granted.  The  name  for  the  new  chapter 
was  easily  decided.  The  initial  letters  of  Miss 
Paddock's  name  were  chosen,  and  the  chapter 
became  Nebraska  Lambda-Pi,  May  26,  1893. 

The  Inception  of  Pennsylvania  Zeta  came 
through  efforts  of  J.  M.  Vastine  and  John  I.  Robi- 
son,  both  of  Pennsylvania  Alpha-Zeta.  The  in- 
stallation was  June  14,  1893. 

The  Catalogue  of  1893.  Pennsylvania  Sigma-Phi 
issued  the  1893  Catalogue.  The  catalogue  showed 
the  membership  of  the  chapters  in  1893  was: 
Georgia  Beta,  252;  Tennessee  Nu,  169;  Tennessee 
Lambda,  168;  Kentucky  Chi,  159;  Georgia  Phi, 
141;  Virginia  Omicron,  133;  Ohio  Sigma,  121;  Ala- 
bama Iota,  113;  Tennessee  Omega,  101;  South 
Carolina  Phi,  95;  Tennessee  Eta,  93;  Tennessee 
Zeta,  93;  Virginia  Sigma,  90;  North  Carolina  Xi, 
87;  Mississippi  Gamma,  82;  Georgia  Delta,  74; 
North  Carolina  Theta,  72;  South  Carolina  Delta, 
71;  Alabama  Alpha-Mu,  70;  Texas  Rho,  70;  Penn- 
sylvania Omega,  62;  Alabama  Mu,  59;  Kentucky 
Kappa,  59;  Georgia  Epsilon,  55;  Mississippi 


OF  SIGMA  ALPHA  EPSILON  73 

Theta,  54;  Michigan  Alpha,  53;  Michigan  Iota-Beta, 
48;  Virginia  Pi,  48;  Missouri  Alpha,  47;  Kentucky 
Iota,  46;  South  Carolina  Mu,  44;  Washington  City 
Rho,  42;  Georgia  Pi,  40;  South  Carolina  Gamma, 
38;  Tennessee  Kappa,  35;  Tennessee  Lambda- 
Omega,  32;  Ohio  Delta,  30;  Iowa  Sigma,  30;  South 
Carolina  Lambda,  28;  Georgia  Phi,  27;  Alabama 
Beta-Beta,  26;  Louisiana  Epsilon,  24;  Texas  Theta, 
23;  Ohio  Epsilon,  22;  New  York  Alpha,  22;  Penn- 
sylvania Sigma-Phi,  21;  Louisiana  Zeta,  19;  In- 
diana Alpha,  19;  Pennsylvania  Delta,  18;  Ohio 
Theta,  16;  Virginia  Kappa,  16;  Pennsylvania  Al- 
pha-Zeta,  16;  Mississippi  Zeta,  15;  Missouri  Beta, 
15;  Colorado  Alpha,  15;  Colorado  Chi,  14;  Con- 
necticut Alpha,  14;  Georgia  Eta,  13;  Massachu- 
setts Gamma,  13;  North  Carolina  Rho-Rho,  12; 
Colorado  Zeta,  12;  Massachusetts  Beta-Upsilon, 
12;  Virginia  Upsilon,  11;  Virginia  Tau,  10;  Florida 
Upsilon,  10;  Kentucky  Alpha,  9;  Kentucky  Epsilon, 
9;  Texas  Psi,  9;  Massachusetts  lota-Tau,  9;  South 
Carolina  Upsilon,  8;  Nebraska  Lambda-Pi*  8'; 
Pennsylvania  Zeta,  7;  Indiana  Beta,  6. 

Pittsburgh  Convention  of  1893.  The  Pittsburgh- 
convention  of  1893  was  the  second  national  con- 
vention of  the  fraternity  held  in  a  northern  city. 
Little  was  accomplished  beyond  the  routine  of 
official  and  committee  report  submitted  and  acted 
upon.  All  the  old  officers  were  returned,  except 
Cowan,  who  could  not  continue  for  business  rea- 
sons. J.  Washington  Moore  as  E.  S.  A.,  Albert 
M.  Austin  as  E.  S.  T.  H.  C.  Burger  was  elected 
Editor  of  The  Record.  The  two  alumni  members 
of  the  council  chosen  were  Harry  Bunting  and 
H.  H.  Cowan. 

The  S.  A.  E.  Friars  At  Work.  The  map  of  the 
United  States  hung  on  the  wall  of  the  apartments 
where  Harry  and  George  Bunting  lived  in  At- 
lanta, took  on  a  different  aspect  as  the  nineteenth 


74  PARAGRAPH  HISTORY 

century  advanced  Into  the  nineties.  It  hung  there 
with  golden-headed  pins  stuck  wherever  there 
was  an  S.  A.  E.  chapter,  white  pins  wherever  the 
Buntings  believed  there  should  be  one,  and  black 
pins  where  there  was  a  dead  chapter.  In  the  last 
few  years  many  of  the  white  and  some  of  the 
black  had  been  replaced  by  ones  with  the  golden 
heads.  Early  in  1894,  matters  took  on  a  new  as- 
pect. Harry  Bunting  had  moved  to  Chicago,  and 
was  looking  about  for  new  worlds  to  conquer, 
while  George  Bunting  was  resolved  that  the  chapr 
ters  in  the  lower  Mississippi  valley  should  be 
strengthened  by  new  additions. 

The  Six  Brothers.  Mississippi  Gamma  has  al- 
ways done  her  duty  in  binding  family  ties  with 
fraternity  ties,  for  among  the  young  initiates  of 
the  Oxford  chapter  in  1894,  was  Edgar  B.  Provine, 
the  youngest  of  six  brothers,  all  of  whom  had 
donned  the  pin  at  the  University  of  Mississippi. 
These  six  hold  the  record:  John  W.  Provine, 
Mississippi  Gamma,  '88;  Charles  C.  Provine,  Mis- 
sissippi Gamma,  '90;  Robert  F.  Provine,  Mississippi 
Gamma,  '90;  George  H.  Provine,  Mississippi  Gam- 
ma, '92;  James  N.  Provine,  Mississippi  Gamma, 
'94;  Edgar  B.  Provine,  '96. 

A  Leader  in  Fraternal  Ethics.  Sigma 
Alpha  Epsilon  was  to  take  a  forward  step 
in  fraternity  ethics  in  1894  which  should 
speak  well  for  the  principles  and  high  ground  on 
which  it  stood.  Few  have  followed  her  even  to 
this  day.  The  action  of  Sigma  Alpha  Epsilon 
in  adopting  a  constitutional  amendment  forbidding 
the  initiation  into  the  fraternity  of  any  man  who 
had  ever  been  a  member  of  any  other  college  frar 
ternity  was  in  accord  with  her  traditions  and 
principles. 

Rise  of  Massachusetts  Delta.  Massachusetts 
Delta,  the  new  chapter  at  Worcester  Polytechnic, 


OF  SIGMA  ALPHA  EPSILON  75 

received  its  introduction  to  Sigma  Alpha  Epsilon 
at  "Auburndale."  It  was  also  the  occasion  of  the 
New  England  celebration  of  Pounders'  Day,  1894. 
The  initiation  was  the  largest  up  to  that  time 
ever  held  by  the  fraternity.  The  new  chapter 
presented  twenty-two  neophites,  and  in  addition 
to  these  Massachusetts  Beta-Upsilon  had  five, 
Massachusetts  lota-Tau  six,  and  Massachusetts 
Gamma  five;  or  thirty-nine  in  all.  The  installa- 
tion was  conducted  by  Massachusetts  Gamma. 
The  date  was  March  10. 

Arkansas  Alpha-Upsilon  Founded.  George  Bunt- 
ing organized  a  chapter  at  the  University  of  Arkan- 
sas through  correspondence  with  James  D.  Head, 
a  student  there.  Bunting  installed  the  chapter 
with  seventeen  charter  members,  July  8,  1893. 

Illinois  Psi-Omega  Founded.  Illinois  Psi-Omega 
was  founded  by  Harry  Bunting,  who  installed  the 
chapter  formally  October  17,  1894. 

California  Beta  Inaugurated.  California  Beta 
was  developed  by  Vance  C.  Osmont,  Massachu- 
setts lota-Tau,  who  was  in  attendance  at  the  Uni- 
versity of  California  in  1894.  Twelve  California 
Alpha  men  conducted  the  initiation,  Nov.  24,  1894. 

The  Purple  and  Gold  Appears.  The  PURPLE 
AND  GOLD  appeared  in  December,  1894.  It  was 
the  bulletin  which  the  Ohio  State  Association  had 
ordered  published.  It  was  the  first  periodical 
issued  by  any  of  the  smaller  bodies  of  the  fra- 
ternity. 

Washington  Convention  of  1894.  The  Washing- 
ington  convention  of  1894  was  the  last  of  the  an- 
nual national  conventions.  Its  chief  importance 
was  the  thorough  revision  of  the  laws  of  the  fra- 
ternity. The  granting  of  charters  to  Columbia  and 
St.  Stephens,  the  adoption  of  a  biennial  national 
convention,  and  the  inauguration  of  giving  the 
custody  of  the  fraternity  banners  to  the  two 


76  PARAGRAPH  HISTORY 

chapters  making  the  hest  showing  for  promptness 
in  their  relations  with  the  national  fraternity, 
were  some  of  the  measures  which  had  their  rise 
at  this  convention.  This  was  the  last  national  con- 
vention to  choose  province  presidents.  The  officers 
elected  were:  Eminent  Supreme  Archon,  Albert 
M.  Austin;  Eminent  Supreme  Deputy  Archon, 
Claudius  Dockery;  Eminent  Supreme  Recorder, 
Howard  P.  Nash;  Eminent  Supreme  Treasurer, 
Champe  S.  Andrews;  Editor  of  The  Record,  H.  C. 
Burger. 

The  Flags  of  the  Fraternity.  The  disposition  by 
the  1894  Convention  of  the  two  flags  owned  by 
the  fraternity  during  the  interval  between  the  con- 
ventions, was  a  happy  one.  It  was  decided  that 
S.  A.  E.  flag  should  go  to  the  chapter  which  had 
met  its  obligations  to  the  fraternity  most  promptly, 
and  that  the  American  flag  should  be  in  the  cus- 
tody of  the  chapter  which  stood  second.  At  this 
convention  the  fraternity  flag  was  given  into  the 
custody  of  North  Carolina  Xi,  and  the  American 
flag  to  Kentucky  Kappa.  The  awards  at  the  suc- 
ceeding conventions  have  been:  1896,  Georgia  Ep- 
silon,  North  Carolina  Theta;  1898,  Georgia  Epsilon, 
Arkansas  Alpha-Upsilon;  1900,  Massachusetts 
lotapTau,  Arkansas  Alpha-Upsilon;  1902,  Colorado 
Zeta,  Alabama  Iota;  1904,  Massachusetts  Iota,Tau, 
Alabama  Iota;  1906,  Pennsylvania  Alpha-Zeta, 
Alabama  Iota;  1909,  Pennsylvania  Alpha-Zeta,  Co- 
lorado Zeta;  1910,  Pennsylvania  Alpha-Zeta,  Iowa 
Gamma;  1912,,  Illinois  Psi-Omega,  New  Yoirk 
Sigma-Phi;  1914,  Illinois  Psi-Omega,  Pennsylvania 
Alpha-Zeta. 

Constitutional  Changes  of  1894.  The  national 
laws  adopted  by  the  1894  convention  made  the 
Supreme  Council  a  living  reality.  Two  new  offices 
were  added  to  this  body,  that  of  Eminent  Supreme 
Deputy  Archon  and  Eminent  Supreme  Recorder. 


OF  SIGMA  ALPHA  EPSILON  77 

The  duties  of  the  Eminent  Supreme  Recorder 
were  those  of  a  national  secretary.  The  corre- 
sponding secretary  of  the  mother  chapter  in  ante- 
bellum days  is  suggestive  of  such  an  office,  but 
did  not  resemble  it  in  a  statistical  sense.  The 
development  of  the  province  system  was  one  of 
the  marked  features  of  the  revised  laws.  The 
province  presidents,  heretofore  chosen  by  the  na- 
tional conventions,  were  hereafter  to  be  elected 
by  province  conventions.  These  conventions  were 
to  meet  biennially,  in  alternating  years  with  the 
national  conventions.  The  province  grand  chap- 
ter was  abolished.  The  old  judicial  system  which, 
with  its  machinery,  had  proved  inefficient  and 
cumbersome,  was  done  away  with,  and  in  its  place 
was  introduced  a  simple  system  of  appeals  from 
acts  of  the  chapter  to  the  province  convention, 
thence  to  the  Supreme  Council,  and  finally  to  the 
national  convention,  which  as  ever  was  "the  su- 
preme power  of  the  fraternity." 

A  Joint  Installation.  New  York  Mu  at  Columbia 
University  and  New  York  SigmarPhi  at  St.  Steph- 
en's College  had  received  charters  at  the  1894 
convention  and  they  were  initiated  together  in 
New  York  City,  Feb.  21,  1895.  Henry  Sydnor  Har- 
rison, a  member  of  New  York  Mu,  served  as  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Supreme  Council  for  four  years  as  Edi- 
tor of  The  Record.  New  York  Sigma-Phi  had  been 
a  local  for  twenty-five  years  before  it  became  a 
national  fraternity  chapter.  The  chapter  ,has 
never  countenanced  what  is  known  as  "a  rough 
house  initiation"  but  in  examplifi  cation  of  the 
ritual  has  few  equals  in  the  fraternity. 

The  Province  Conventions.  The  fraternity  had 
been  organized  into  provinces  for  ten  years  be- 
fore a  province  convention  was  held.  The  aban- 
donment of  annual  national  conventions  in  1894 
made  it  advisable  for  the  provinces  to  meet.  The 


78  PARAGRAPH  HISTORY 

first  convention  was  held  by  Province  Delta  with 
Ohio  Epsilon  as  host.  The  other  provinces  fol- 
lowed through  the  year.  The  first  elected  prov- 
ince presidents  were  Province  Alpha,  H.  C.  Lakin, 
Massachusetts  Gamma;  Beta,  Henry  G.  Mac- 
Adam,  New  York  Mu;  Gamma,  G.  Hendree  Har- 
rison, Georgia  Phi;  Delta,  Arthur  J.  Tuttle,  Michi- 
gan Iota-Beta;  Epsilon,  Clarence  Bryant,  Tennes- 
see Nu;  Zeta,  Harvey  B.  Fleming,  Missouri  Beta; 
Eta,  George  D.  Kimball. 

The  Fraternity  Grows  Rich.  As  the  last  decade 
of  the  nineteenth  century  went  on,  the  fraternity 
treasury  commenced  to  feel  the  effect  of  the 
numerous  new  chapters  which  had  come  into  being 
in  the  past  few  years.  With  the  expenses  but 
slightly  increased  and  the  chapter  roll  swelling, 
the  fraternity  suddenly  found  itself  with  a  surplus 
in  its  treasury.  This  was  so  unheard  of  that 
Austin,  the  E.  S.  T.,  was  alarmed.  Both  he  and 
his  successor,  Champe  S.  Andrews,  Alabama  Al- 
pha-Mu,  watched  the  funds  grow  with  increasing 
responsibility.  Andrews  gradually  developed  the 
idea  which  was  ultimately  adopted  for  the  safe- 
guarding of  the  funds,  which  is  known  as  the 
Board  of  Trustees'  plan. 

A  Badge  for  Every  Initiate.  The  Eminent  Su- 
preme Archon  in  1895,  proposed  that  the  St.  Louis 
convention,  when  it  met,  should  arrange  to  pur- 
chase a  plain  gold  badge  in  large  quantities  and 
one  should  be  presented  to  every  initiate.  When 
the  St.  Louis  convention  met,  this  valuable  con- 
ception was  put  into  effect. 

S.  A.  E.  Enters  National  Politics.  For  the  first 
time  a  magazine  of  the  fraternity  appeared  in  1896 
with  a  political  ticket  at  the  head  of  its  editorial 
column.  The  Phi  Alpha  advocated  the  election  of 
two  men  running  for  national  office,  heading  its 
choice:  "The  S.  A.  E.  ticket.  For  President,  Wil- 


OF  SIGMA  ALPHA  EPSILON  79 

liam  McKinley,  of  Ohio  Sigma;  for  Vice-President, 
Thomas  Watson,  of  Georgia  Psi."  The  repub- 
licans had  nominated  McKinley  for  President  of 
the  United  States,  while  the  populists,  who  had 
nominated  William  J.  Bryan  as  their  candidate 
for  the  same  office,  had  given  him  as  a  running 
mate,  Thomas  Watson. 

St.  Louis  Convention  of  1896.  The  St.  Louis 
convention  of  1896  was  opened  December  29th. 
It  was  the  first  biennial  convention.  It  was  dis- 
tinguished by  the  presence  of  John  W.  Kerr,  one 
of  the  eight  original  founders  of  the  fraternity. 
The  convention  granted  charters  for  Louisiana 
Tan-Upsilon  at  Tulane  University  and  Louisiana 
Epsilon  at  the  University  of  Louisiana.  The 
election  of  officers  resulted  in  the  re-election 
of  Albert  M.  Austin  as  Eminent  Supreme  Archon, 
Howard  P.  Nash,  as  Eminent  Supreme  Recorder, 
and  Champe  S.  Andrews,  as  Eminent  Supreme 
Treasurer.  Two  new  men  were  promoted  to  the 
Supreme  Council  in  the  election  of  Herbert  C. 
Lakin,  Massachusetts  Gamma,  as  editor  of  The 
Record,  and  Harry  J.  Cox,  of  California.  Alpha, 
as  Eminent  Supreme  Deputy  Archon. 

John  W.  Kerr  at  St.  Louis.  John  W.  Kerr  was 
the  first  founder  to  attend  a  national  convention 
of  the  fraternity  when  he  met  with  the  1896  St. 
Louis  gathering.  He  said  to  the  convention: 
"Brothers  of  Sigma  Alpha  Epsilon.  To  roll  back 
forty  years  of  a  busy  life  is  not  an  easy  thing  to 
do,  but  you  have  carried  me  back  that  far,  to  the 
long  past  years  when  we  were  boys  together  in 
Alabama  and  gathered  together  the  friendship 
and  fashioned  the  bonds  of  brotherhood,  founding 
this  fraternity.  Forty  years  ago  was  the  last  time 
I  attended  an  initiation  or  took  any  active  part  in 
Sigma  Alpha  Epsilon.  Yet  when  I  met  you  today 
I  was  borne  backward  to  those  good  times,  when  I, 


80  PARAGRAPH  HISTORY 

too,  was  a  youth  full  of  hope  and  ambition,  and 
never  dreamed  that  I  should  become  as  a  sere  and 
yellow  leaf.  Away  back  in  that  time  of  youth 
earnest  young  men  met  in  a  little  brick  school- 
house  and  formed  the  first  beginning  of  Sigma 
Alpha  Epsilon.  As  the  weeks  slipped  by  we  in- 
itiated more  friends,  and  when  the  time  came  in 
the  spring  for  us  to  graduate,  we  had  quite  a 
company.  We  remain  scattered  to  all  points  of 
the  wind.  But  we  carried  in  our  hearts  a  better 
and  nobler  spirit  for  the  bond  with  which  we  had 
bound  ourselves.  And  may  Sigma  Alpha  Epsilon 
always  thus  make  her  members  better  and  nobler 
men." 

The  Louisiana  Chapters.  Sagacious  George 
Bunting  was  responsible  for  the  Louisiana  chap- 
ters which  applied  for  admission  to  the  fraternity. 
They  were  the  children  of  a  campaign  he  con- 
ducted which  resembled  the  raid  of  a  cavalry  gen- 
eral in  time  of  war.  This  is  particularly  true  of 
his  accomplishment  at  the  Louisiana  State  Uni- 
versity, where  one  can  scarcely  refrain  from 
laughing  at  his  audacious  success,  though  a  re- 
view of  what  he  did  there  will  not  fail  to  add  due 
respect  to  the  merriment.  Bunting  arrived  at 
Baton  Rouge  early  in  the  morning  and  advanced 
on  the  University.  He  had  remembered  the  name 
of  a  student  of  whom  a  Louisiana  alumnus  of  an- 
other fraternity  spoke,  not  without  lamentation, 
that  this  student  had  refused  an  invitation  from 
his  fraternity.  He  found  the  student,  introduced 
himself  and  soon  had  him  pledged.  He  told  Bunt- 
ing of  three  other  men,  who  like  himself  had 
been  bid  by  the  fraternities  at  Louisiana  and  had 
refused.  By  three  o'clock  in  the  afternoon,  Bunt- 
ing had  met  all  of  these  fellows,  spiked  and 
pledged  them.  At  four  o'clock  he  held  the  first 
meeting  of  the  local  chapter  he  had  formed.  His 
new  compatriots  named  four  other  students  they 


OF  SIGMA  ALPHA  EPSILON  81 

would  like  to  have  with  them.  Bunting  again  set 
the  wheels  in  motion,  and  at  six  o'clock  these 
men  were  enrolled.  The  local  took  the  name  of 
Phi  Alpha  and  the  first  clause  in  its  constitution 
pledged  it  to  apply  to  Sigma  Alpha  Epsilon  for  a 
charter.  At  ten  o'clock  that  night,  George  Bunt- 
ing was  on  his  way  to  New  Orleans  looking  for 
new  worlds  to  conquer.  The  St.  Louis  convention 
granted  the  charter  and  Champe  S.  Andrews  in- 
stalled the  local  as  Louisiana  Epsilon,  Jan.  21, 
1897.  At  the  time  George  Bunting  met  with  his 
success  at  Baton  Rouge,  there  were  a  number  of 
S.  A.  E.'s  enrolled  at  Tulane,  and  were  desirous 
for  a  chapter  there.  These  were  John  Webb  Mc- 
Gehee  and  John  G.  Lilly,  of  Alabama  Iota,  and 
John  W.  D.  Dicks,  of  Tennessee  Zeta.  At  this 
time  George  Bunting  arrived  in  New  Orleans. 
The  other  S.  A.  E.'s  in  the  university  and  in  the 
city  were  enlisted  and  from  the  non-fraternity 
students  several  available  men  were  selected,  and 
Bunting  left  the  city  in  a  few  days,  assured  that 
Louisiana  Tau-Upsilon,  as  it  came  to  be  called 
after  Jan.  22,  1897,  was  on  the  road  to  success. 

President  McKinley's  S.  A.  E.  Spirit.  William 
McKinley,  Ohio  Sigma,  took  the  oath  of  office  as 
president  of  the  United  States,  March  4,  1897. 
During  the  ceremony  there  sparkled  on  the  lapel 
of  his  coat,  a  beautiful  studded  badge  of  Sigma 
Alpha  Epsilon. 

Coat  of  Arms  Adopted.  The  Coat  of  Arms  of 
the  fraternity  was  designed  by  W.  L.  French,  Con- 
necticut Alpha.  The  Supreme  Council,  to  whom 
the  1896  convention  had  referred  it,  adopted  it  in 
1897. 

S.  A.  E.  in  the  Spanish  War.  Sigma  Alpha  Ep- 
silon has  had  an  honorable  part  in  the  foreign 
wars  in  which  the  American  people  have  en- 
gaged in  recent  years.  In  the  Spanish-American 


82  PARAGRAPH  HISTORY 

war,  in  the  Philippine  insurrection,  in  the  Boxer 
rebellion,  in  the  Moro  uprising,  the  fraternity  has 
had  her  sons,  who  acquitted  themselves  like  men. 
There  were  187  S.  A.  E.'s  who  fought  in  the  for- 
eign wars  at  the  close  of  the  nineteenth  century. 

Nashville  Convention  of  1898.  The  National 
convention  which  was  at  Nashville  in  1898  was 
the  eighth  general  convention  of  the  fraternity  to 
be  held  in  that  city.  This  convention  reduced  the 
Phi  Alpha  to  a  mere  official  bulletin,  accepted  a 
ritual  entirely  new,  which  the  next  convention  re- 
pealed, granted  a  charter  to  the  petitioning  local 
at  the  University  of  Illinois  and  placed  the  grant- 
ing of  a  charter  to  Kentucky  State  College  in  the 
hands  of  the  Supreme  Council.  At  the  election 
of  officers,  Floyd  Furlow,  Georgia  Phi,  was  elected 
E.  S.  A.;  George  D.  Kimball,  Colorado  Zeta,  E.  S. 
D.  A.;  Howard  P.  Nash,  E.  S.  R.;  G.  Hendree  Har- 
rison, E.  S.  T.,  and  Herbert  C.  Lakin,  Editor  of 
The  Record. 

Beginnings  of  Illinois  Beta.  Illinois  Beta  was 
installed  at  the  University  of  Illinois,  Jan.  28,  1899. 
The  chapter  has  furnished  an  E.  S.  D.  A.  to  the 
fraternity  in  the  person  of  Carl  E.  Sheldon. 

A  Supreme  Council  Change.  Herbert  C.  Lakin, 
Massachusetts  Gamma,  resigned  the  editorship  of 
the  Record  in  October,  1899.  The  Supreme  Coun- 
cil elected  Edward  Mellus,  Massachusetts  Gam- 
ma, to  the  position. 

The  Entrance  of  Kentucky  Epsilon  of  Kentucky 
State  College  into  the  fraternity  was  on  Feb.  10, 
1900. 

Resignation  of  the  Eminent  Supreme  Recorder. 
Howard  P.  Nash  resigned  as  Eminent  Supreme 
Recorder,  September  30,  1900.  Edward  H.  Virgin, 
Massachusetts  Gamma,  was  appointed  to  the  va- 
cancy. 

Province    Presidents    In    1900.      Five    province 


OF  SIGMA  ALPHA  EPSILON  83 

conventions  met  1»  1900  and  selected  as  province 
presidents,  Province  Alpha,  James  A.  Stetson, 
Massachusetts  lota-Tau;  Beta,  Watson  B.  Selvage, 
New  York  Sigma-Phi;  Delta,  Clyde  K.  Cairns,  Ohio 
Epsilon;  Eta,  Harry  A.  Deuel,  California  Alpha; 
Theta,  James  W.  McClendon.  Province  Zeta  held 
no  convention  and  there  being  a  vacancy  in  the 
province  presidency,  the  Supreme  Council  ap- 
pointed George  H.  Bunting  to  the  position. 

The  Chariot  of  Minerva.  A  device  used  in  the 
old  days  which  attracted  attention  outside  of  the 
fraternity,  was,  "The  Chariot  of  Minerva,"  in- 
vented by  members  of  Kentucky  Epsilon.  The 
wheels  of  the  vehicle  were  about  two  and  a  half 
feet  in  diameter  with  the  holes  for  the  axle  about 
three  inches  out  of  center.  The  candidates  for  in- 
itiation would  be  placed  in  the  cart  and  then  the 
chapter  would  rush  it  about  the  monument  of 
John  C.  Breckenridge  until  the  statue  would  al- 
most open  its  eyes  in  amazement.  Outside  ini- 
tiation is  now  prohibited. 

Boston  Convention  of  1900.  The  Boston  Con- 
vention of  1900  created  the  Board  of  Trustees,  to 
care  for  the  surplus  funds  of  the  fraternity.  It 
restored  the  Phi  Alpha  to  its  original  form  and 
granted  three  charters  to  important  institutions. 
These  were  the  University  of  Maine,  the  Univer- 
sity of  Pennsylvania  and  the  University  of  Min- 
nesota. The  charter  to  the  latter  was  to  remain 
in  the  hands  of  the  Supreme  Council  a  year  before 
it  was  issued.  The  convention  marked  an  era  in 
the  fraternity.  In  point  of  attendance  it  surpassed 
all  previous  ones  and  in  every  way  was  a  national 
gathering.  It  completed  its  business  by  electing 
as  members  of  the  Supreme  Council:  G.  Hendree 
Harrison,  E.  S.  A.;  William  C.  Levere,  E.  S.  D.  A.; 
Edward  H.  Virgin,  E.  S.  R.;  George  D.  Kimball, 
E.  S.  T.,  and  Edward  Mellus,  Editor  of  the  Record. 


84  PARAGRAPH  HISTORY 

The  Board  of  Trustees.  The  1900  convention 
adopted  the  plan  of  Champe  S.  Andrews  for  a 
board  of  trustees  to  care  for  the  surplus  funds  of 
the  fraternity.  This  board  was  to  be  composed  of 
five  alumni  of  the  fraternity,  all  of  whom  were  re- 
quired to  be  residents  of  New  York  City.  The 
purpose  for  which  the  funds  were  to  be  conserved 
was  to  aid  chapters  in  building  chapter-houses. 
The  convention  elected  as  members  of  the  board, 
Champe  S.  Andrews,  Albert  M.  Austin,  and  Her- 
bert C.  Lakin,  for  the  term  of  four  years,  and 
Henry  G.  MacAdam  and  Bryan  C.  Collier  for  the 
term  of  two  years.  These  were  all  from  differ- 
ent chapters,  such  being  one  of  the  requirements. 

Rise  of  Pennsylvania  Theta.  Pennsylvania 
Theta  was  installed  at  the  University  of  Pennsyl- 
vania, Feb.  9,  1901. 

Birth  of  Maine  Alpha.  Maine  Alpha  was  in- 
stalled at  the  University  of  Maine  on  Washing- 
ton's Birthday,  1901.  Clarence  W.  Stowell,  a  char- 
ter member  of  the  chapter,  has  served  on  the  Su- 
preme Council  as  Eminent  Supreme  Recorder. 

Organization  of  the  Board  of  Trustees.  The 
new  board  of  trustees  created  by  the  Boston  con- 
vention met  in  New  York  city  March  25,  1901, 
and  formally  organized.  Champe  S.  Andrews,  the 
father  of  the  law  which  provided  for  the  board, 
was  elected  its  first  president.  Henry  G.  Mac- 
Adam was  elected  vice-president  and  Bryan  C.  Col- 
lier, secretary. 

To  Protect  Official  Badge.  John  D.  N.  McCart- 
ney, a  member  of  Georgia  Beta,  commenced  an 
agitation  in  1901  against  the  wearing  of  the 
official  badge  by  members  of  the  fair  sex,  which 
had  its  culmination  at  the  next  national  conven- 
tion in  the  passage  of  a  law  forbidding  such  use. 

Anti-Fraternity  Warfare.  The  anti-fraternity 
men  at  the  University  of  Arkansas  in  the  fall  of 


OF  SIGMA  ALPHA  EPSILON  85 

1901  won  a  victory  by  carrying  through  the  legis- 
lature a  bill  prohibiting  fraternities  at  the  state 
university.  Some  clever  Greek,  when  he  saw  the 
day  was  lost,  had  an  amendment  tacked  onto  the 
bill  which  was  carried  through  with  it  to  the  ef- 
fect that  members  of  the  Greek  letter  societies  at 
the  university  should  not  be  allowed  to  hold  any 
of  the  honors  of  the  university,  and  that  in  the 
military  department  no  fraternity  man  should  have 
rank  above  second  lieutenant.  This  amendment  was 
ultimately  to  save  the  fraternities,  for  two  years 
later,  when  the  excitement  had  died  away  and  the 
Greeks  came  out  of  hiding,  the  faculty  chose  to 
interpret  the  law  as  allowing  the  fraternities  to 
continue  in  existence  but  refusing  the  members 
the  right  to  participate  in  the  honors  of  the  in- 
stitution, except  to  hold  minor  military  positions. 
The  fraternities  reorganized  as  clubs  and  main- 
tained as  vigorous  organizations  as  ever.  Arkan- 
sas Alpha-Upsilon  was  known  as  the  Arkansas 
Club. 

Locals  Seek  S.  A.  E.  There  was  throughout 
1901-02  a  remarkable  movement  going  on  among 
local  societies  over  the  country  to  win  charters 
from  S.  A.  E.  The  pages  of  the  fraternity's  pub- 
lications were  filled  with  accounts  of  college  so- 
cieties seeking  charters  from  the  fraternity.  That 
many  of  these  societies  were  located  at  institu- 
tions like  Wisconsin,  Chicago  and  Kansas,  was 
very  gratifying  to  the  officers  of  the  fraternity, 
who  recognized  how  desirable  it  was  that  Sigma 
Alpha  Epsilon  should  have  chapters  at  these 
points. 

Resignation  of  Editor  of  the  Record.  Edward 
Mellus  resigned  as  Editor  of  The  Record  at  the 
close  of  1901  and  Champe  S.  Andrews,  Alabama 
Alpha-Mu,  was  appointed  to  the  position  by  the 
Supreme  Council. 


86  PARAGRAPH  HISTORY 

Minnesota  Alpha  Founded.  Minnesota  Alpha  at 
the  University  of  Minnesota  was  installed  Jan. 
27,  1902. 

Province  Presidents  In  1902.  Province  Alpha, 
Robert  C.  Allen,  Massachusetts  Delta;  Beta,  Wat- 
son B.  Selvage,  New  York  Sigma-Phi;  Gamma,  F. 
H.  Ficklen,  Georgia  Epsilon;  Delta,  Carl  E.  Shel« 
don,  Illinois  Beta;  Epsilon,  Marvin  E.  Holderness, 
Tennessee  Nu;  Zeta,  George  H.  Bunting,  Tennes- 
see Zeta;  Eta,  Walter  E.  White,  Colorado  Chi; 
Theta,  James  W.  McClendon,  Texas  Rho. 

The  Record  In  1902.  Champe  S.  Andrews  had 
taken  up  the  editorship  of  the  Record  with  char- 
acteristic vigor,  and  had  appointed  as  his  assist- 
ant Henry  Sydnor  Harrison,  New  York  Mu.  It 
was  a  cardinal  principle  with  Andrews  that  the 
Record  should  appear  promptly  on  date  of  issue, 
and  the  fraternity  enjoyed  this  feature  of  the 
magazine  quite  as  much  as  it  relished  what  the 
pages  carried. 

Phi  Alpha  Convention  Bulletin.  Two  weeks  he- 
fore  the  Washington  convention  of  1902,  the  Phi 
Alpha  Convention  Bulletin  appeared.  Its  name 
indicated  its  mission.  It  was  to  advertise  the  con- 
vention. A  list  of  petitioning  locals  showed  that 
sixteen  colleges  were  anxious  for  8.  A.  E.  char- 
ters. 

The  Christmas  Convention  of  1902.  The  Christ- 
mas convention  is  the  name  which  belongs  to  the 
Washington  convention  of  1902,  not  only  because 
it  was  in  session  on  that  anniversary  but  because 
it  was  a  convention  typical  of  the  generous  spirit 
of  that  day.  It  was  the  cheeriest  kind  of  a  con- 
vention, and  the  glow  of  Christmas  hope  and  mirth 
permeated  it  through  and  through.  On  the  great 
natal  day  the  S.  A.  E.'s  gathered  around  the  board, 
and  together,  like  a  great  family  of  brothers,  ate 
their  Christmas  dinner.  It  was  this  Christmas  con- 


OF  SIGMA  ALPHA  EPSILON  87 

A 

vention  that  gave  the  splendid  gift  of  Illinois 
Theta,  Wisconsin  Alpha,  Kansas  Alpha,  Colorado 
Lambda,  and  Virginia  Theta  to  the  fraternity.  It 
was  one  of  the  hardest-working  conventions  the 
fraternity  ever  had,  though  the  spirit  of  good- 
will and  good-cheer  was  the  very  essence  of  it. 
Even  as  the  delegates  passed  each  other  in  the 
halls  of  the  beautiful  New  Willard,  they  could  not 
refrain  from  expressions  of  good-fellowship  and 
happiness.  The  convention  opened  in  the  Willard 
Hotel,  Dec.  23.  The  work  of  the  committee  on 
manual,  chapters  and  convention  fund  was  ardu- 
ous. The  constitutional  revision  committee  was  in 
session  day  and  night,  for  while  most  of  the  mate- 
rial was  old,  there  were  some  new  features  intro- 
duced. Five  charters  were  granted.  The  success- 
ful petitions  were  University  of  Chicago,  Univer- 
sity of  Wisconsin,  University  of  Kansas,  Colorado 
School  of  Mines  and  a  revival  of  the  ancient  chap- 
ter at  the  Virginia  Military  Institute.  The  elec- 
tion of  officers  Christmas  eve  was  unanimous,  the 
following  being  chosen:  E.  S.  A.,  William  C.  Le- 
vere,  Illinois  Psi-Omega;  E.  S.  D.  A.,  Marvin  E. 
Holderness,  Tennessee  Nu;  E.  S.  R.,  Edward  H. 
Virgin,  Massachusetts  Gamma;  E.  S.  T.,  George  D. 
Kimball,  Colorado  Zeta;  Editor  of  the  Record, 
Henry  Sydnor  Harrison,  New  York  Mu. 

The  Lost  President.  There  was  a  note  of  sad- 
ness in  the  convention,  which  all  its  joys  did  not 
eliminate.  Washington  had  been  chosen  as  the 
place  of  the  1902  Convention  because  Sigma  Alpha 
Epsilon  wanted  to  come  to  the  capitol  while  Wil- 
liam McKinley  was  President.  But  in  the  two 
years  strange  and  serious  events  occurred.  The 
cruel  hand  of  the  murderer  had  intervened,  the 
country  had  been  plunged  in  grief,  the  lovable 
William  McKinley  had  passed  from  the  theater  of 
life's  fretful  scenes,  and  when  Sigma  Alpha  Ep- 
silon came  to  Washington,  it  found  him  not  tnere. 


88  PARAGRAPH  HISTORY 

National  Laws  Amended.  The  1902  convention 
made  numerous  amendments  to  the  laws  of  the 
fraternity.  It  was  provided  that  the  official  badge 
given  to  the  members  at  the  time  of  initiation 
should  continue  to  be  the  property  of  the  national 
fraternity,  subject  to  recall  at  any  time.  This  of- 
ficial badge,  it  was  provided,  should  not  be  worn 
by  anyone  but  a  member.  A  law  was  adopted  that 
vacancies  in  province  offices  between  conventions 
should  be  filled  by  appointment  by  the  Supreme 
Council.  The  law  regulating  delegates  to  prov- 
ince conventions  was  changed  so  that  in  the 
future  each  chapter  should  be  entitled  to  repre- 
sentation by  two  elected  delegates  and  the  Emi- 
nent Archon  of  the  chapter. 

The  Province  Boundaries.  The  1902  Convention 
arranged  the  provinces  as  follows:  Province  Al- 
pha— Maine,  New  Hampshire,  Vermont,  Massachu- 
setts, Rhode  Island,  Connecticut,  Nova  Scotia  and 
New  Brunswick.  Province  Beta — New  York,  Penn- 
vania,  New  Jersey,  Ontario  and  Quebec.  Province 
Gamma — Maryland,  Delaware,  District  of  Colum- 
bia, Virginia,  West  Virginia,  North  Carolina  and 
South  Carolina.  Province  Delta — Michigan,  Min- 
nesota, Wisconsin,  Indiana,  Illinois  and  Ohio. 
Province  Zeta — Arkansas,  Missouri,  Kansas,  Ne- 
braska and  Iowa.  Province  Eta — North  Dakota, 
South  Dakota,  Colorado,  Wyoming,  Utah,  Nevada, 
Washington,  Oregon,  California,  Idaho  and  Mon- 
tana. Province  Theta — Louisiana,  Mississippi, 
Texas,  Oklahoma,  Arizona,  New  Mexico  and  In- 
dian Territory.  Province  Iota — Tennessee  and 
Kentucky.  The  changes  made  since  have  been  to 
remove  South  Dakota  to  Province  Zeta;  California 
to  Province  Kappa;  Washington,  Oregon,  Idaho 
and  Montana  to  Province  Lambda. 

Happy  Days  in  the  Fraternity.  The  influence 
of  the  Washington  convention  on  the  fraternity 


OF  SIGMA  ALPHA  EPSILON  89 

was  unparalleled  in  the  fervor  and  spirit  which 
went  out  from  it  and  reached  even  to  the  farthest 
chapter.  In  the  weeks  which  followed  the  evi- 
dences of  this  were  seen  everywhere,  and  although 
the  Record  did  not  appear  until  the  convention  had 
been  over  for  two  months,  its  pages  were  filled 
with  the  glow  of  the  Christmas  convention.  Even 
the  chapter-letters  to  an  unusual  degree  reflected 
the  charm  which  the  convention  had  worked  in 
the  hearts  of  the  men  of  Sigma  Alpha  Epsilon. 

Colorado  Lambda  Inaugurated.  Colorado  Lamb- 
da was  installed  at  the  State  School  of  Mines,  Jan. 
30,  1903. 

Wisconsin  Alpha  Founded.  Wisconsin  Alpha 
was  installed  at  the  University  of  Wisconsin,  Feb. 
7,  1903. 

Kansas  Alpha  Born.  Kansas  Alpha  was  installed 
at  the  University  of  Kansas,  Feb.  14,  1903. 

Illinois  Theta  Instituted.  Illinois  Theta  was  in- 
stalled at  the  University  of  Chicago,  March  9,  1903. 

Virginia  Theta  Arises.  Virginia  Theta  was  re- 
vived at  the  Virginia  Military  Institute,  April  11, 
1903. 

Province  Presidents  in  1902  were:  Province  Al- 
pha, Leslie  Millar,  Massachusetts  lota-Tau;  Beta, 
Ralph  S.  Kent,  New  York  Alpha;  Gamma,  Alfred 
R.  Berkeley,  North  Carolina  Xi;  Delta,  Carl  E. 
Sheldon,  Illinois  Beta;  Epsilon,  Lauren  W.  Fore- 
man, Georgia  Epsilon;  Zeta,  Elmer  B.  Sanford, 
Michigan  Iota-Beta;  Eta,  Walter  E.  White,  Colo- 
rado Chi;  Theta,  Powell  Crichton;  Iota,  J.  Rock- 
well Smith,  Kentucky  Kappa. 

Discovery  of  Rudulph.  Up  to  1903,  it  had  gen- 
erally been  accepted  as  a  fact  that  all  the  original 
founders  of  the  fraternity  were  dead.  William  C. 
Levere,  E.  S.  A.,  journeyed  Southward  and.  found 
John  B.  Rudulph,  on  an  old  plantation  in  southern 
Alabama. 


90  PARAGRAPH  HISTORY 

Supreme  Council  Mid-Convention  Meeting,  1903, 
was  held  at  Evanston,  111.,  Dec.  21-24.  The  mem- 
bers of  the  council  conducted  a  province  initia- 
tion. The  chief  work  of  this  meeting  was  to  elect 
the  E.  S.  A.  as  temporary  E.  S.  R.  while  he  edited 
the  1904  catalogue,  which  had  been  given  him  to 
do,  after  the  resignation  of  Edward  H.  Virgin, 
Massachusetts  Gamma.  George  H.  Kress  was 
chosen  to  publish  a  fraternity  manual. 

The  Catalogue  of  1904  appeared  in  June.  It 
showed  a  membership  of  8,500. 

Systematic  Records  Adopted.  In  1904,  the  mem- 
bership book  for  recording  data  and  providing  a 
blank  to  report  initiates  was  devised  by  the  E.  S. 
A.  and  delivered  to  the  chapters. 

A  New  Eminent  Supreme  Recorder.  With  the 
appearance  of  the  1904  Catalogue,  William  C. 
Levere,  E.  S.  A.,  who  had  been  acting  as  E.  S.  R. 
during  the  production  of  the  book,  resigned  as 
E.  S.  R.  and  Leslie  W.  Millar,  Massachusetts  lota- 
Tau,  was  appointed  to  the  position. 

S.  A.  E.  Day  at  the  World's  Fair  in  St.  Louis 
was  observed  July  14,  1904. 

Active  Membership  of  S.  A.  E.,  Nov.  1,  1904,  was 
1,167. 

The  S.  A.  E.  Manual  appeared  Dec.  1,  1904.  It 
was  a  compendium  of  fraternity  information. 
George  H.  Kress,  Ohio  Epsilon,  was  the  editor. 

The  Original  Minutes  appeared  Dec.  20,  1904. 
The  volume  contained  the  minutes  of  Alabama 
Mu  during  its  ante-bellum  days.  William  C. 
Levere  was  the  editor. 

The  Memphis  Convention  of  1904  met  Dec.  27. 
The  S.  A.  E.  Daily  made  its  initial  appearance. 
Important  events  were  the  endorsement  of  the 
De  Votie  Memorial  Building,  offer  of  cash  prizes 
to  chapters  building  houses,  creation  of  a  chapter 


OF  SIGMA  ALPHA  EPSILON  91 

house  officer,  to  which  place  Carl  E.  Sheldon  was 
elected,  the  granting  of  five  charters  to  the  Uni- 
versity of  Iowa,  George  Washington  University, 
Iowa  State  College,  Case  School  of  Science  and 
the  University  of  Washington.  The  officers  chosen 
were:  E.  S.  A.,  William  C.  Levere;  E.  S.  D.  A., 
Marvin  E.  Holderness;  E.  S.  R.,  Clarence  W. 
Stowell;  E.  S.  T.,  George  D.  Kimball;  Editor  of 
the  Record,  Henry  Sydnor  Harrison;  Board  of 
Trustees,  Herbert  Lakin,  Harry  P.  Layton,  Robert 
Gibson,  Jr. 

Iowa  Beta  Established.  Iowa  Beta  was  in- 
stalled at  the  University  of  Iowa,  Feb.  11,  1905. 

Ohio  Rho  Installed.  Ohio  Rho  at  Case  School  of 
Science  was  installed,  Feb.  18,  1905. 

Washington  City  Rho  Revived.  Washington 
City  Rho,  the  chapter  which  had  lived  through  the 
civil  war,  and  then  as  the  other  chapters  came 
back  to  life  fell  asleep,  was  revived  by  the  fra- 
ternity, March  2,  1905,  at  George  Washington  Uni- 
versity. 

Iowa  Gamma  Initiated.  Iowa  Gamma  was  in- 
stalled at  Iowa  State  College,  June  3,  1905. 

Province  Presidents  in  1905.  Province  Alpha, 
Sylvester  Beach;  Beta,  Ralph  S.  Kent;  Gamma, 
Alfred  R.  Berkeley;  Delta,  Carl  E.  Sheldon;  Zeta, 
Elmer  B.  Sanford;  Epsilon,  J.  Clay  Murphy;  Eta, 
Walter  E.  White;  Theta,  Oswald  McNeese;  Iota, 
J.  Rockwell  Smith. 

Mid-Convention  Meeting  of  Supreme  Council, 
1905,  was  held  at  the  Washington  City  Rho  House. 

The  Lion's  Paw  issued  its  first  number  Feb.  22, 
1906. 

March  9,  1906,  the  fiftieth  anniversary  of  Sigma 
Alpha  Epsilon  was  widely  celebrated  by  alumni 
associations  and  chapters. 

Incorporation   Day.     Sigma  Alpha  Epsilon  was 


92  PARAGRAPH  HISTORY 

incorporated  under  the  laws  of  the  state  of  Illi- 
nois, March  9,  1906.  The  incorporators  were 
Harry  Bunting,  William  C.  Levere,  Granville  H. 
Twining,  Clyde  D.  Foster,  Walter  B.  Long,  Ken- 
neth Brown,  John  W.  Robinson. 

Washington  Alpha  Founded.  In  1906,  the  Su- 
preme Council  issued  the  charter  intrusted  to  it 
by  the  1904  Convention  for  the  chapter  at  the 
University  of  Washington.  The  chapter  was  in- 
stalled May  30. 

Annual  Chapter  Letters.  These  publications, 
later  called  the  Year  Book,  appeared  first  in  1906 
with  William  C.  Levere  as  editor.  In  1907,  the 
editor  was  C.  W.  Stowell;  1908,  C.  P.  Wood;  1909, 
Ritze  Mulder;  1910,  Ritze  Mulder;  1912,  William 
C.  Levere. 

The  Life  of  De  Votie  began  publication  in  The 
Record  in  Sept.,  1906,  and  continued  in  each  num- 
ber for  four  years.  It  was  written  by  William  C. 
Levere. 

The  Fiftieth  Anniversary  Convention  was  held 
in  Atlanta,  Ga.,  opening  Dec.  26,  1906.  The 
presence  of  John  B.  Rudulph,  the  last  of  the 
founders,  was  the  great  event  of  the  convention. 
It  was  a  convention  historic  for  great  work  for 
the  fraternity  and  exquisite  social  occasions.  The 
officers  chosen  were:  E.  S.  A.,  George  D.  Kimball; 
B.  S.  D.  A.,  Carl  E.  Sheldon;  E.  S.  R.,  Clarence  W. 
Stowell;  E.  S.  T.,  Charles  F.  Stone;  Editor  of  the 
Record,  Charles  P.  Wood. 

Indiana  Gamma  Installed.  Indiana  Gamma  at 
the  University  of  Indiana  was  installed  Jan.  18, 
1907. 

New  York  Delta  Founded.  New  York  Delta  at 
Syracuse  University  was  installed  Washington's 
birthday,  1906. 

The  S.  A.  E.  Song  Book  appeared  in  1907  with 


OF  SIGMA  ALPHA  EPSILON  93 

William  C.  Levere  editor  and  Walter  Squire  musi- 
cal editor. 

Province  Presidents  in  1907.  Province  Alpha, 
Charles  F.  Davis;  Beta,  Ralph  C.  Stewart;  Gamma, 
Alfred  R.  Berkeley;  Delta,  Clyde  I.  Webster;  Ep- 
silon,  Hugh  W.  Kirkpatrick;  Zeta,  Henry  F. 
Droste;  Eta,  Charles  J.  Ling;  Theta,  Henry  P. 
Dart,  Jr.;  Iota,  Frank  K.  Houston. 

Mid-Convention  Meeting  of  Supreme  Council, 
1907.  Massachusetts  Gamma  was  host  to  the  Su- 
preme Council  in  1907.  The  council  at  this  meet- 
ing arranged  for  the  publication  of  the  S.  A.  E. 
History. 

New  Hampshire  Alpha  was  installed  at  Dart- 
mouth College,  May  2,  1908.  The  initiation  was  at 
Cambridge,  Mass. 

A  Pan-Hellenic  Conference  was  held  in  Chicago, 
February,  1909,  at  which  George  D.  Kimball,  E.  S. 
A.,  presented  resolutions  which  resulted  in  the 
formation  of  the  New  York  Inter-Fraternity  Con- 
ference. 

The  Atlantic  City  Convention  of  1909  was  the 
first  summer  convention  held  by  S.  A.  E.  in  many 
years.  John  B.  Rudulph,  the  founder,  was  again 
present.  The  experiment  of  meeting  in  summer 
was  not  a  success.  The  officers  elected  were: 

E.  S.  A.,  George  D.  Kimball;   E.  S.  D.  A.,  Carl  E. 
Sheldon;  E.  S.  R.,  C.  W.  Stowell;  E.  S.  T.,  Charles 

F.  Stone;  editor  of  the  Record,  Charles  P.  Wood. 

Installation  of  Oklahoma  Kappa  at  the  Univer- 
sity of  Oklahoma  was  held  October  23,  1909. 

Province  Presidents  in  1909.  Province  Alpha* 
William  E.  Waterhouse;  Beta,  Ralph  C.  Stewart; 
Gamma,  Albert  L.  Cox;  Delta,  David  W.  Wen- 
strand;  Epsilon,  William  W.  Brandon;  Zeta,  Roy 
H.  Monier;  Eta,  William  N.  Vaile;  Theta,  Paul  A. 
Walker;  Iota,  L.  L.  Fonville.  The  newly  created 


94  PARAGRAPH  HISTORY 

province  of  Kappa,  comprising  California  and 
Washington,  elected  Louis  S.  Beedy  president. 

Death  of  John  B.  Rudulph.  With  the  death  of 
John  B.  Rudulph,  April  13,  1910,  the  last  of  the 
founders  of  S.  A.  E.  had  passed  on. 

Resignation  of  Two  Council  Members.  In  March, 
1910,  Charles  F.  Stone  resigned  as  E.  S.  T.  Wil- 
liam C.  Levere  was  appointed  by  the  Supreme 
Council  to  the  position.  In  April,  Charles  P. 
Wood  resigned  as  Editor  of  the  Record.  Elmer  B. 
Sanford  was  appointed  to  the  position. 

Mid-Convention  Meeting  of  Supreme  Council, 
1910.  Illinois  Beta  was  host  to  the  Mid-Convention 
Supreme  Council  meeting,  1910. 

The  Revised  Ritual  was  referred  by  the  1909 
convention  to  the  Supreme  Council  for  action.  It 
was  accepted  at  their  meeting  at  Champaign.  The 
committee  which  had  this  work  in  charge  was  com- 
posed of  Ralph  C.  Stewart,  Albrecht  F.  Leue,  Carl 
F.  White,  Dean  Taylor. 

Ohio  Sigma  celebrated  its  twenty-fifth  anniver- 
sary in  1910  with  a  quarter-centennial  historical 
address,  an  initiation  and  a  banquet. 

Province  Presidents  in  1910.  Province  Alpha, 
William  E.  Waterhouse;  Beta,  L.  J.  Doolittle; 
Gamma,  Albert  L.  Cox;  Delta,  H.  S.  Warwick;  Ep- 
silon,  W.  W.  Brandon;  Zeta,  Roy  H.  Monier;  Eta, 
William  N.  Vaile;  Theta,  Paul  A.  Walker;  Iota,  L. 
L.  Fonville;  Kappa,  Louis  Beedy. 

Kansas  City  Convention  of  1910.  The  Kansas 
City  convention  held  its  first  business  session  De- 
cember 28.  It  was  a  convention  radiant  with 
S.  A.  E.  feeling.  Charters  were  granted  to  the 
University  of  South  Dakota,  the  University  of 
South  Carolina  and  Millikin  University.  The  offi- 
cers elected  were  E.  S.  A.,  William  W.  Brandon, 
Alabama  Mu;  E.  S.  D.  A.,  Clarence  W.  Stowell; 


OF  SIGMA  ALPHA  EPSILON  95 

E.  S.  R.,  Marvin  E.  Holdeness;  E.  S.  T.,  George  D. 
Kimball;  Editor  of  the  Record,  Elmer  B.  Sanford. 

The  De  Votie  Memorial.  It  was  at  the  1910  con- 
vention that  General  William  W.  Brandon  was  able 
to  announce  the  completion  of  the  De  Votie  Memo- 
ial  building  at  Tuscaloosa.  The  movement  to  erect 
this  memorial  was  commenced  in  1904.  The  1912 
convention  gave  the  Alabama  Mu  chapter  a  deed 
to  the  building.  The  edifice  was  erected  through 
contributions  made  by  the  general  fraternity  and 
the  efforts  of  Alabama  Mu. 

Illinois  Delta  Arises.  Illinois  Delta  was  installed 
at  Millikin  University,  January  14,  1911. 

South  Dakota  Sigma  Born.  South  Dakota  Sigma 
was  installed  at  the  University  of  South  Dakota, 
January  27,  1911. 

The  S.  A.  E.  History.  The  History  of  Sigma  Alpha 
Epsilon  appeared  in  May,  1911.  It  was  published 
in  three  volumes  and  extensively  illustrated.  The 
edition  of  2,000  sets  was  oversubscribed  on  the 
day  of  publication.  The  historian  was  William  C. 
Levere. 

Mid-Convention  Meeting  of  Supreme  Council, 
1911,  was  held  in  New  Orleans.  The  council  at 
this  meeting  adopted  the  S.  A.  E.  Standard  Ac- 
counts System. 

Province  Presidents  in  1912.  Province  Alpha,  C. 
G.  Sherman;  Beta,  L.  G.  Doolittle;  Gamma,  T. 
Gibson  Hobbs;  Delta,  William  E.  Webbe;  Epsilon, 
John  D.  McCaraney;  Eta,  Omar  Garwood;  Zeta, 
Arthur  T.  Wallace;  Theta,  George  D.  Booth;  Iota, 
E.  L.  Carney;  Kappa,  R.  L.  Phelps. 

Who's  Who  in  S.  A.  E.    Who's  Who  in  S.  A.  E., 

a  biographical  dictionary  of  notable  living  mem- 
bers of  the  fraternity  by  William  C.  Levere,  ap- 
peared in  July,  1912. 
The   Mississippi   Case.     The  Mississippi  legisla- 


96  PARAGRAPH  HISTORY 

iature  passed  a  law  in  1912  abolishing  fraternities 
from  the  University  of  Mississippi.  Sigma  Alpha 
Epsilon  together  with  Sigma  Chi,  Phi  Delta  Theta, 
Delta  Tau  Delta  and  Kappa  Alpha  (so.)  took  the 
case  to  the  Supreme  Court  of  the  United  States. 
The  decision  of  the  Supreme  Court  was  handed 
down  June  1,  1915,  and  the  constitutionality  of  the 
law  was  upheld. 

S.  A.  E.  Standard  Accounts.  No  more  significant 
indication  of  the  forward  progress  of  the  fraternity 
happened  in  1912,  than  the  installation  throughout 
the  fraternity  of  the  S.  A.  E.  Standard  Accounts. 
The  improvement  in  the  business  methods  of  the 
chapters  was  apparent  at  once.  The  system  had 
been  devised  by  a  committee  of  which  Don  R. 
Almy  was  chairman  and  Ralph  C.  Stewart,  Wil- 
liam A.  Vawter  II,  Ralph  S.  Kent  and  C.  W. 
Stowell  were  members. 

The  Pocket  Directory  appeared  in  December, 
1912,  with  William  C.  Levere  as  editor. 

Nashville  Convention  of  1912.  For  the  ninth 
time  a  national  convention  of  S.  A.  E.  was  con- 
vened in  Nashville,  when  the  1912  gathering  was 
called  to  order  on  December  26.  Few  conventions 
have  worked  harder  or  wrought  better.  The  Life 
Subscription  Plan  to  the  S.  A.  E.  Record  was 
adopted  and  the  E.  S.  R.  was  made  the  traveling 
secretary  of  the  fraternity.  Charters  were  granted 
to  Kansas  State  College  and  the  University  of 
Pittsburgh.  Marvin  E.  Holderness,  Tennessee  Nu, 
was  elected  E.  S.  A.  The  others  elected  were  E. 
S.  D.  A.,  Albrecht  F.  Leue;  E.  S.  R.,  William  C. 
Levere;  E.  S.  T.,  George  D.  Kimball;  Editor  of  The 
Record,  Elmer  B.  Sanford. 

The  Installation  of  Kansas  Beta  at  Kansas  State 
College  took  place  January  24,  1913. 

The  Installation  of  Pennsylvania  Chi-Omlcron  at 


OF  SIGMA  ALPHA  EPSILON  97 

the  University  of  Pittsburgh  took  place  March  10, 
1913. 

Anti-Fraternity  Agitation  was  violent  through- 
out the  country  in  1913.  In  Wisconsin,  Ohio,  Texas 
and  elsewhere  the  fraternities  were  vigorously  at- 
tacked. In  several  states  anti-fraternity  legisla- 
tion was  narrowly  averted. 

The  Traveling  Secretary.  Complying  with  the 
duties  of  the  position,  William  C.  Levere,  E.  S.  R., 
visited  every  chapter  of  the  fraternity  in  1913-14. 
At  each  chapter  the  illustrated  lecture,  "A  Pil- 
grimage into  S.  A.  E.  Land"  was  given. 

Province  Presidents  in  1914.  Province  Alpha,  H. 
H.  Bennett;  Beta,  L.  G.  Doolittle;  Gamma,  T.  Gib- 
son Hobbs;  Delta,  Louis  W.  Mack;  Epsilon, 
Charles  C.  Thomas;  Eta,  Harold  Garwood;  Zeta, 
A.  R.  Thomas;  Theta,  E.  Lloyd  Posey;  Iota,  J.  D. 
Turner;  Kappa,  R.  L.  Phelps. 

S.  A.  E.  in  1914.  Under  the  administration  of 
Marvin  E.  Holderness,  E.  S.  A.,  the  fraternity  ap- 
proached the  end  of  1914  with  its  chapters  in  re- 
markably fine  condition  and  an  era  of  general  pros- 
perity abounding. 

An  Alumni  Ritual.  Throughout  1914,  a  very  gen- 
eral agitation  arose  to  strengthen  alumni  associa- 
tions. Led  by  Don  R.  Almy  and  R.  S.  Uzzell,  there 
arose  an  advocacy  of  a  degree  for  alumni.  The 
national  fraternity  endorsed  the  plan  and  it  is 
being  developed. 

Chicago  Convention  of  1914.  The  Chicago  con- 
vention of  1914  opened  December  21.  In  point  of 
attendance  it  was  the  largest  convention  ever  held. 
The  arrangements  were  perfect  and  the  enthusi- 
asm and  interest  at  high  key.  The  work  of  the 
convention  was  largely  devoted  to  perfecting  and 
improving  the  organization.  Charters  were 
granted  to  Washington  State  College,  Oregon  State 


98  PARAGRAPH  HISTORY 

College,  Beloit  College  and  the  University  of  Flor- 
ida. Don  R.  Almy,  New  York  Alpha,  was  elected 
Eminent  Supreme  Archon.  The  other  members  of 
the  Council  were  E.  S.  D.  A.,  Albrecht  F.  Leue; 
E.  S.  R.,  William  C.  Levere;  E.  S.  T.,  George  D. 
Kimball;  Editor  of  The  Record,  Elmer  B.  Sanford. 
Pittsburgh  was  selected  for  the  1916  convention. 

Four  New  Chapters  were  installed  early  in  1915 
in  accordance  with  the  vote  of  the  1914  conven- 
tion. Florida  Upsilon  at  the  University  of  Florida 
was  the  revival  of  a  former  chapter.  It  was  in- 
stalled February  13,  and  the  same  day  Wisconsin 
Phi  was  installed  at  Beloit  College.  Washington 
Beta  at  Washington  State  College  was  installed 
March  9  and  Oregon  Alpha  at  Oregon  State  Col- 
lege was  installed  March  19. 

Province  Lambda  Created.  The  1914  convention 
made  the  states  of  Washington,  Oregon,  Idaho 
and  Montana  into  a  new  province  called  Lambda. 
Arthur  A.  Cook  is  the  first  president. 

Two  Fraternity  Publications.  William  C.  Le- 
vere was  the  editor  of  Leading  Greeks,  an  Encyclo- 
pedia of  the  Workers  in  the  American  College  Fra- 
ternities and  Sororities,  which  appeared  in  June, 
1915,  and  of  Songs  of  Purple  and  Gold,  which  ap- 
peared in  November,  1915. 

Province  Presidents  in  March,  1916.  Province 
Alpha,  Edward  M.  Peters;  Beta,  L.  G.  Doolittle; 
Gamma,  T.  Gibson  Hobbs;  Delta,  Louis  W.  Mack; 
Epsilon,  William  W.  Brandon;  Eta,  Frank  J.  Rein- 
hard;  Zeta,  Ralph  Bryan;  Theta,  E.  Lloyd  Posey; 
Iota,  J.  D.  Turner;  Kappa,  R.  L.  Phelps;  Lambda. 
Arthur  A.  Cook. 

In  the  Year  of  1916.  The  fraternity  under  the 
administration  of  Don  R.  Almy,  E.  S.  A.,  is  steadily 
moving  on,  strengthening  and  building  itself. 
Among  the  important  committees  at  work  are 
those  on  the  financial  code,  scholarship,  extension 


OF  SIGMA  ALPHA  EPSILON  99 

investigation,  medical  examination,  alumni,  degree 
and  anti-fraternity  legislation.  It  is  safe  to  say 
that  1916  is  the  best  year  to  date.  It  is  better  on 
before. 

A  Paragraph  History  of  Sigma  Alpha  Epsilon, 
by  William  C.  Levere,  was  published  in  March, 
1916. 


INDEX 


Abolished  Fraternities  at 
Mississippi,  96. 

Adams,    William   M.,    66. 

Alabama  Alpha -Mu  Pound- 
ed, 40. 

Alabama   Beta-Beta,   38. 

Alabama  Iota  Launched, 
41,  76. 

Alabama  Mu  Pounded,  3; 
Through  1856-1857,  12; 
Disbands,  21;  in  the  War, 
29;  Memorial,  95. 

Alabama,  University  of, 
place  of  founding,  3;  ab- 
olished Fraternities,  11; 
lawlessness  follows  going 
of  Fraternities  at,  12. 

Almy,  Don  R.,  65;  advo- 
cates alumni  ritual,  97; 
Eminent  Supreme  Arch- 
on,  98;  Administration, 
98. 

Alpha  Tau  Omega  wooes 
Minerva,  43. 

Alumni    Ritual,    An    97. 

Amalgamation,  proposed  by 
Beta  Theta  Pi,  41;  At- 
titude of  the  Chapters 
toward,  41;  proposed  by 
Delta  Tau  Delta,  43; 
proposed  by  Alpha  Tau 
Omega,  43;  by  W.  R. 
Baird,  44. 

Ames,    Chester,    63. 

Andrews,  Champe  S.,  76; 
Watches  Surplus,  78. 

Angell,  Frederick,  61. 

Annual  Chapter  Letters, 
92. 

Anti-Fraternity  Agitation, 
97. 

Arkansas  Alpha-Upsilon, 
76;  founded,  75. 

Athens  Convention  of  1869, 
36;  of  1884,  54. 

Atkinson,   Robert  C.,   18. 


Atlanta  Convention  of  1872, 
38;  of  1881,  45;  of  1886, 
59;  of  1891,  65;  of  1906, 
92. 

Auburndales,  The,  69. 

Austin,  Albert  M.,  60,  76, 
73;  watches  surplus,  78. 

Augusta  Convention  of  1874, 
38;  of  1878,  40;  1882,  49. 


Badge,  designed  by  Ru- 
dulph,  5;  color  of,  9;  girls 
went  wild  over  it,  9;  the 
first,  9;  for  every  ini- 
tiate A,  78. 

Baird  Suggests  a  Plan  of 
Union,  44. 

Banquet,  First  Sigma  Alpha 
Epsilon,  7. 

Barr,   Charles  J.,  62. 

Barrett,  Thomas  C.,  organ- 
izes Texas  Rho,  54. 

Beach,  Sylvester,  91. 

Beedy,  Louis,  president  of 
Kappa  Province,  94. 

Berkeley,  Alfred  R.,  91; 
province  president,  93. 

Bennett,  H.  H.,  province 
president,  97. 

Beta  Theta  Pi,  Proposed 
Amalgamation  with,  41; 
suggests  union  again,  44. 

Birth  of  Sigma  Alpha  Epsi- 
lon, 3. 

Board  of  Trustees,  78,  83, 
84. 

Booth,  George  D.,   95. 

Boston  Convention  of  1900, 
83. 

Brandon,  William  W.,  93, 
94;  Eminent  Supreme 
Archon,  94,  95;  a  prov- 
ince president,  98. 

Bross,    Willard    P.,    72. 

Brown,  Kenneth,  incorpo- 
rator  of  fraternity,  92. 

Bryan,    Milton,    54. 


100 


Bryan,     Ralph,     a    provLic3     i 

president,    98. 
Bryant,   Clarence,  78. 
Bullock,    James    Atwood,    8. 
Bunting,    George    H.,    68;    a 

founder  of  Phi  Alpha,  69, 

73,    75. 
Bunting,     Harry,     initiated, 

59;    refuses    Eminent    Su- 

preme     Archonship,      66; 

searches  for  lost  records, 

66;    and   his   specials,    67; 

in    New    England,     68;     a 

founder  of  Phi  Alpha,  69, 

73,     74;     incorporator     of 

fraternity,   92. 
Bunting,   Robert,  a  member 

of    Tenn.    Zeta,    59. 
Bunting  Specials,  The,  67. 
Bunting,   William,    a   mem- 

ber of  Tenn.   Zeta,   59. 
Burger,  H.  C.,  68,  73,  76. 


Cadwell,    Frederick    G.,    61. 
California    Alpha    Founded, 

67. 
California      Beta      Inaugu- 

rated,   75. 
Capers,  John  G.,   60,   62,   64, 

66. 
Catalogue,     The    First,     27; 

second,    37;    third    Issued, 

39;    of    1877,    The,    40;    of 

1886,     The,     59;     of    1893, 

72;   of  1904,   90. 
Chapter  Alumni  Letters,  92. 
Chapter  Correspondence 

Continued,   52. 
Chapters,    Early    Communi- 

cations  Between,    17. 
Chapter    House,    First    Sig- 

ma   Alpha   Epsilon,    47. 
Chapter,   Names,    25,    54. 
Chapters'   Officers,  New  Ti- 

tles  for,    51. 

Chapter,  The  Second,  15. 
Charlotte       Convention       of 

1889,    62. 
Chattanooga    Convention    of 

1892,    70. 
Chi    Phi    challenges    Sigma 

Alpha  Epsilon,  61. 


Chicago  Convention  of  1914, 

•97.        .     ' 
C-rrmrati       Coi'jv^ntion      of 

1890,    64. 

Cipher,  The  Ritual  in,  49. 
Civil  War  and  Sigma  Alpha 

Epsilon,    The,    28. 
Clark,   Oscar  L.,    58. 
Clarke,    William   A.,    65. 
Cleland,   William  L.,    69. 
Clements,    Newton   Nash,    6, 

23. 

Cockrell,    Nathan    E.,    3. 
Cody,  James  A.,   27. 
Collier,  B.  C.,  61,  62,  63,  84. 
Colorado    Chi,    65. 
Colorado   Lambda,    89. 
Colorado   Zeta,    appears,    65, 

76. 
Columbia,     South     Carolina 

Convention  of  1887,  60. 
Connecticut   Alpha,    69. 
Constitution    of    1869,    The, 

36. 
Constitution    of    1883,    The, 

52. 
Constitutional  Convention  or 

1887,    60. 

Constitution  of  1891,   64. 
Constitutional     Changes     of 

1894,   76. 
Convention,      Delegates      to 

First  Convention,   23;   ex- 
tension   at    the    first,    23; 

work  at  the  first,   24. 
Cook,    Arthur    A.    the    first 

president        of       Lambda 

Province,  98. 

Cook,   Thomas  C.,   3;   activ- 
ity of,   16. 
Cowan,  H.  H.,  63,  64,  66,  68; 

author  of  flag,  70,  73. 
Cox,     Albert     L.,     province 

president,    93,    94. 


Dart,  Jr.,  Henry  P.,  prov- 
ince president,  93. 

Davis,  Charles  F.,  province 
president,  93. 

Death    of    a    Brother,    52. 

Delta  Tau  Delta  Wooes 
Minerva,  43. 


101 


Dennis,    Samuel,    3 

Dent,    Stanley,    Hujrfc,    64. 

De  ^orie,  -7ewett,  et  Ala- 
bama, 8,  9,  13;  most  fined 
man,  14;  founder  of 
Washington  City  Rho,  26. 

De  Votie,  Life  of,  92;  the 
memorial,  95;  memorial 
completed,  95. 

De  Votie,  Noble  Leslie,  the 
founder,  3;  presided  at 
first  meeting,  4;  and  ex- 
tension, 10;  the  scholar, 
11;  and  Chapel  Hill,  16; 
first  man  to  lose  his  life 
in  the  civil  war,  29. 

Dickinson,  Jacob  M.,  Hon- 
orary Eminent  Supreme 
Archon,  71. 

Dockery,  Claudius,  76. 

Doolittle,  L.  J.,  69;  province 
president,  94,  95,  97,  98. 

Droste,  Henry  P.,  province 
president,  93. 

B 

Early     Chapter     Discipline, 

14. 

Early  Literary  Work,    14. 
Eighth     Chapter,     Planning 

the,    22. 
Eminent    Supreme    Archon, 

The   first,    58. 
Extension    in   Europe,    26. 
Extension    Movement,    The, 

62. 
Extension   Year,    The,    67. 


First  Meeting,   The,    4. 

Flag,  Sigma  Alpha  Epsilon 
Adopted,  70. 

Flags  of  the  Fraternity,  The 
76. 

Fleming,   Harvey  B.,   78. 

Fleming,  John  M.,  16,  17, 
20. 

Florida  Upsilon  Founded, 
54;  revived,  98. 

Fiftieth  Anniversary,  widely 
celebrated,  91 ;  conven- 
tion, 92. 


Fonville,  L.  L.,  province 
president,  93,  94. 

Poi-niss,  Thaddeus,    18. 

Foster,  Clyde  D.,  incorpora- 
tor  of  fraternity,  92. 

Foster,   Wade,    3. 

Founders,  The,  3;  purpose 
of,  9. 

Fraternity  Planned,  A  Gen- 
eral, 9. 

Fraternity,  Regenesis  of 
the,  30. 

Furlow,    Floyd,    63. 


Garland,  President,  Attack- 
ed Fraternities,  11. 

Garwood,  Harold,  province 
president,  97. 

Garwood,    Omar,    95. 

General  Convention  1870, 
37. 

Georgia  Beta  Complete* 
Catalogue,  59. 

Georgia  Beta,  First  Days  or. 
the  Founding  of,  31,  32; 
selected  as  Grand  Chap- 
ter, 36;  in  1883,  49. 

Georgia  Delta  Begins  Ca- 
reer, 41. 

Georgia  Epsilon,  the  Birth 
of,  48,  76. 

Georgia  Eta  Founded,   26. 

Georgia  Phi  Begins  Career, 
63. 

Georgia  Psi,   38. 

Georgia  Pi,  20;  is  founded, 
19;  men  enter  Athens,  31. 

Grand   Chapter,    The,    6. 

Gibson,   Robert,  Jr.,   91. 

Gilchrist,  Albert,  Honorary 
Eminent  Supreme  Arch- 
on,  71. 

Glass,  James  G.,  Becomes 
Eminent  Grand  Archon, 
48,  51,  55. 

Goetchius,    George,    31. 

Golson,    J.    Hodges,    15. 

Government,  The  First  SyB- 
•tem  of,  6. 

Grand  Chapters  of  Sigma 
Alpha  Epsilon,  25. 


102 


Grand  Chapter  Plan  In- 
adequate, 57. 

Guerry,  William  A.,  51;  re- 
vised the  ritual,  54;  Hon- 
orary Kminent  Supreme 
Archon,  71. 

Greek  letters  for  names  of 
Chapters,  25. 

H 

Halbert,    Henry  P.,    Is. 

Harrison,  Caskie,  Cipher, 
49. 

Harrison,  G.  Hendree,  63, 
78. 

Harrison,  Henry  Sydnor,  86, 
87,  91. 

Heard,   Isaac  T.,   37. 

Higley,    Elmer,    65. 

History  of  Sigma  Alpha 
Epsilon,  95. 

Hobbs,  Gibson  T.,  95;  a 
province  president,  97,  98. 

Holderness,  Marvin  E., 
Eminent  Supreme  Deputy 
Archon,  91;  Eminent  Su- 
preme Recorder,  95;  Emi- 
nent Supreme  Archon, 
96;  Administration,  97; 

Honorary  Eminent  Su- 
preme Archon,  70. 

Horning,  Albert,   Z.,   61. 

Houston,  Frank  K.,  prov- 
ince president,  93. 

Howry,  Charles  B.,  33; 
Eminent  Supreme  Arch- 
on,  71. 

Hunnicutt,    James   E.,    48. 

Hustler,   The,    69. 


Illinois  Beta,  Beginnings  of, 
82;  host  to  Supreme 
Council,  94. 

Illinois    Delta    Arises,    95. 

Illinois  Psi-Omega  Found- 
ed, 75,  76. 

Illinois  Theta,  Established, 
89. 

Insurance  Proposed,  Fra- 
ternal, 36. 

Inactive   Chapters,    The.    44. 


Incorporation  of  the  Fra- 
ternity, 91. 

Indiana  Alpha,  Born,   67. 

Indiana  Beta  Arises,   71. 

Indiana  Gamma  Installed, 
92. 

Initiations,   Early,   8. 

Installation  of  Oklahoma 
Kappa,  93. 

Iowa   Beta   Established,    91. 

Iowa  Gamma,  wins  frater- 
nity flag,  76;  initiated,  91. 

Iowa  Sigma,   45. 


Johnson's  Schoolhouse,    4. 
Joint  Installation,  A,  77. 
Judicial    System,     The,     38; 

done   away   with,    77. 
Judkins,   James  H.,    21. 

K 

Kansas  Alpha  established, 
89. 

Kansas  Beta,  The  Installa- 
tion of,  96. 

Kansas  City  Convention  of 
1910,  94. 

Kentucky  Alpha,    40. 

Kentucky  Chi,  27;  early  days 
of,  28;  revived,  35;  in  the 
leadership,  39;  chosen 
Grand  Chapter,  40;  Chap- 
ter, 43. 

Kentucky  Epsilon  is  found- 
ed, 82;  its  chariot  of 
Minerva,  83. 

Kentucky  Iota,  Birth  of,  22. 

Kentucky  Kappa  Organizes, 
48;  76. 

Kent,  Ralph  S.,  91. 

Kephs,  Chapters  Called,   35. 

Kerr,  John  W.,  3;  elected 
president,  7. 

Kimball,  George  D.,  65.  78: 
Eminent  Supreme  Treas- 
urer, 91;  Eminent  Su- 
preme Archon,  92,  93: 
brings  about  New  York 
inter-fraternity  confer- 
ence, 93;  Eminent  Su- 
preme Treasurer,  95,  96. 
98. 


Kentucky  Epsilon,  South 
Kentucky  College,  45. 

Kirkpatrick,  Hugh  W., 
province  president,  98. 


Lakin,    Herbert,    71,    78,    91. 
Lambda    Province    created, 

98. 

Lane,    Samuel,    on   Amalga- 
mation,   41. 
Lanier,  John  S.,   23. 
Layton,    Harry  P.,    91. 
Leading   Greeks,    An    Ency- 

clopadia  of  the  Fraternity 

Workers,    98. 
Leue,  Albrecht  F.,  Eminent 

Supreme    Deputy   Archon, 

62;    revisor   of  the   ritual, 

94 ;       Eminent       Supreme 

Deputy  Archon,   96. 
Levere,    William   C.,    71,    91, 

96,    98,    99. 

Life  of  De  Votie,    92. 
Life    Subscription    Plan    to 

Record,   96. 
Ling,    Charles    J.,    Province 

president,   93. 

Lion's  Paw  Issued,   The,   91. 
Literary  Work  at  Alabama 

Mu,   5,   14. 
Long,  Walter  E.,  Incorpora- 

tor  of  Fraternity,   92. 
Louisville       Convention       of 

1873,    38;    of   1883,    50. 
Louisiana  Epsilon  Founded, 

33. 

Louisiana    Tau,    27. 
Louisiana    Tau-Upsilon,    79, 

80,   81. 

Louisiana   Zeta,    45. 
Lowrie,    William   L.,    64. 

M 

MacAdam,  Henry  G.,  78,  84. 
Mack,     Louis    W.,    province 

president,    97,   98. 
Mack,  William,  67. 
Maine,  Alpha,   83,    84. 
Massachusetts     Beta-Upsil- 

lon,    68. 
Massachusetts     Delta,     Rise 

of,    74. 


Massachusetts  Gamma,  En- 
trance of,  71. 

Massachusetts  lota-Tau,  In- 
auguration of,   69,   76. 
McCartney,   John   D.,    95. 
McCleskey,  James,  31. 
McGlohon,    Samuel    B.,     47, 

49,   55. 

McKinley,    William,    70,    87. 
McLaughlin,  James  D.,   8. 
McNeese,   Oswald,   91. 
Meeting,    The   Second,    7. 
Mell,  Thomas  S.,  first  Emi- 
nent Supreme  Archon,  58, 
59,    60,    62,    64. 
Mellus,  Edward,  71. 
Membership,      Early     Limit 

to,    5. 
Memphis       Convention       of 

1870,    27;   of   1904,    90. 
Mexican  Horse  Pistol,   4. 
Michigan   Alpha    Establish- 
ed,  60. 

Michigan  Iota-Beta  Found- 
ed, 60. 

Mid- Convention   Meeting   of 
Supreme      Council,      1905, 
91;    1907,    93;   of  1910,    94; 
of   1911,    95. 
Millar,   Leslie  W.,   69. 
Minnesota  Alpha,   83,   86. 
Mississippi  Case,   The,   95. 
Mississippi      Zeta     Appears. 

37. 

Mississippi  Gamma  is  Plan- 
ned, 32;  the  founding  of, 
33. 

Mississippi  Theta,   45. 
Missouri  Alpha  Established, 

54. 

Missouri    Beta   Nascent,    68. 
Mitchell,   Oliver,   45. 
Monier,     Roy     H.,     province 

president,    93,    94. 
Moore,    J.    Washington,     73. 
Mother  Chapter  Revived,  66. 
Mother    Mu,    6. 
Mulder,    Ritze   C.,    92. 
Murfreesboro    Chapter,    The, 

18. 

Murfreesboro    first    Conven- 
tion,   22. 
Murphy,   J.   Clay,    91. 


N 

Names  of  Chapters,    25. 

Nash,  Howard  P.,  71,  76. 

Nashville  Convention  of 
1860,  27;  of  1867,  34;  of 
1871,  38;  of  1875,  38;  of 
1879,  42;  of  1885,  57;  of 
1888,  60;  of  1898,  82;  of 
1912,  96. 

National  Convention,  First, 
22. 

National  Officer,  First,  37. 

National  Politics,  in  Sigma 
Alpha  Epsilon,  78. 

Neblett,    Henry   M.,    21. 

Nebraska  Lambda-Pi,  Dawn 
of,  72. 

New  Hampshire  Alpha,    93. 

New  Titles  for  National  Of- 
ficers, 50. 

New  York  Alpha,  Rise  of, 
65. 

New  York  Delta  Founded, 
92. 

New   York   Mu,    77. 

New  York  Sigma-Phi,  77. 

Nichols,    Edward   C.,    61. 

Nomenclature,  Early  Chap- 
ter, 17. 

North  Carolina  Theta,  50, 
76. 

North  Carolina  Xi,  Estab- 
lished, 16;  Grand  Chaptei* 
of  the  Fraternity,  25,  76. 

North  Carolina  Rho-Rho, 
39. 

Northern  Extension,  Agita- 
tion for,  6;  provided  for, 
36;  rescinded,  1870,  38; 
at  1881  Convention,  45; 
accomplished,  50;  op- 
posed,  53;  triumphant,  55; 
proceeds,  56. 

Northern  Fraternities,  Ex- 
tend South,  46. 


Ohio  Delta  Founded,    60. 
Ohio     Epsilon     Established, 

61 ;   host  of  first  province 

convention,    78. 
Ohio  Rho  Installed,   91. 


;  Ohio  Sigma  Quarter-centen- 
nial, 94. 

Ohio  Theta,   Genesis  of,    69. 

Oklahoma  Kappa,   93. 

Oregon  Alpha  installed,    98. 

Original  Minutes  Recovered, 
66;  Published,  90. 

Owen,  Richard  J.,  59. 

Owen,  Thomas  Lucien 
Moreland,  8. 

Oxford  Convention  of  1868, 
36. 


Paddock,  Lola,  72. 

Panhellenic  Agreement, 

First,    46. 

Panhellenic    Conference,    93. 

Paragraph  History  of  Sig- 
ma Alpha  Epsilon,  98. 

Patillo,    Robert    S.,    48. 

Patton,  Abner,  3;  President 
of  the  Fraternity,  12. 

Pennsylvania  Alpha- Zeta 
Initiated,  68,  76. 

Pennsylvania  Chi-Omicron, 
The  Installation  of,  96. 

Pennsylvania  Delta,  50,  53, 
56. 

Pennsylvania  Omega  Found- 
ed, 59;  aids  New  York 
Alpha,  65. 

Pennsylvania  Sigma-Phi, 
63;  issued  the  1893  Cata- 
logue, 72. 

Pennsylvania  Theta,   83,   84. 

Pennsylvania  Zeta,  The  In- 
ception of,  72. 

Peters,  Edward  M.,  a  Prov- 
ince president,  98. 

Phelps,  R.  L.,  95;  Province 
president,  97,  98. 

Phi  Alpha  was  first  called 
the  Hustler,  69. 

Pilgrimage  into  Sigma  Al- 
pha Epsilonland,  A.,  97. 

Pittsburgh      Convention     of 

1893,   73;   of  1916,   98. 
Pledge,   The  First,    6. 

Pocket  Directory,  The,  96. 
Posey,    E.    Lloyd,    Province 

president,    97,   98. 
Preston,    James    C.,    organ- 
izes   Mo.    Alpha,    54. 


105 


Price,   George  L.   W.,   68. 
Province   Archons,    The,    58. 
Province   Delta  in   1892,    70. 
Province    Boundaries,    New, 

71. 
Province    Conventions,    The 

First,    77. 
Province  Presidents  in  1905, 

91. 
Province    Lambda    created, 

98. 

Provinces,  The  First,   58. 
Provines,  The  Six,  74. 
Purple    and    Gold    Appears, 

The,    75. 

R 

Record  Life  Subscription 
Plan,  96. 

Recovery  of  the  Original 
Minutes,  66. 

Reinhard,  Frank,  Province 
president,  98. 

"Reorganized,"  When  Chap- 
ters, 47. 

Richmond  Convention  of 
1877,  39. 

Riley,    Enoch    Parsons,    8. 

Rinehart,   Stanley,   63,   68. 

Ritual  Formerly  Comprised 
in  Constitution,  5;  in 
Cipher,  49;  part  of  Con- 
stitution, 53;  ritual  re- 
vised, 54,  94;  for  Alumni, 
97. 

Robison,   John  I.,  72. 

Robinson,  John  W.,  Incor- 
porator  of  fraternity,  92. 

Rudulph,  John  B.,  3;  De- 
signed the  badge,  5; 
Honorary  Eminent  Su- 
preme Archon,  71;  dis- 
covery of,  89;  at  Conven- 
tion, 92;  death,  94. 


Sanford,  Elmer  B.,  61,  91; 
appointed  editor,  94;  edi- 
tor of  The  Record,  95,  96, 
98. 

Second  College  Year,  End 
of,  15. 

Seibels,  Edwin  G.,  50. 


Sheldon,  Carl  E.,  91;  E.  S 
D.  A.,  92,  93. 

Sherman,    C.    G.,    95. 

Shipp,  John  E.  D.,  40,  41,  42. 

Shorter,   Charles,   28. 

Shorter,    James   H.,    27. 

Sigma  Alpha  Epsilon,  the 
Founding  of,  3;  its  found- 
ers, 3;  meetings  at  Kerr's 
home,  4;  first  stated 
meeting,  4;  faces  extinc- 
tion, 12;  conquers  the 
north.  56;  in  New  Eng- 
land, 68;  leader  in  fra- 
ternity ethics,  74. 

Sigma  Alpha  Epsilon  Stand- 
ard Accounts,  96. 

Sigma  Alpha  Epsilon  Yell, 
67. 

"Sing  Brothers,  Sing,"  61. 

Smith,  Alexander  J.,  48. 

Smith,    Edwin    DuBose,    67. 

Smith,  J.  Rockwell,   91. 

Snook,  Peyton,   58. 

Song  Book,  The  S.  A.  E., 
92. 

Songs  of  Purple  and  Gold, 
98. 

South   Carolina  Delta,   48. 

South   Carolina  Gamma,   48. 

South  Carolina  Lambda,   45. 

South  Carolina  Mu,   45. 

South  Carolina  Phi,   36. 

South  Carolina  Upsilon,    45. 

South  Dakota  Sigma  Born, 
95. 

Spencer,  Samuel,  31. 

Squire,  Walter,  Musical 
Editor,  93. 

St.  Louis  Convention  of 
1896,  79. 

State  Association  of  Ohio, 
70. 

State  Convention,  The  First, 
55. 

Stewart,  Ralph  C.,  Province- 
president,  93;  revisor  of 
ritual,  94. 

Stone,  Charles  Frederick. 
92,  93. 

Stowell,  Clarence  W.,  E. 
S.  R.,  91;  92,  93;  E.  S. 
D.  A.,  94. 


106 


Supreme  Council  Plan,  57. 

Supreme  Council  in  1890, 
62. 

Supreme  Court  of  United 
States  Decides  Mississ- 
ippi Case,  96. 


Tarrant,    James  P.,    8. 

Taylor,  Dean,  Revisor  of  the 
Ritual,  94. 

Tennessee  Eta  Founded,  34. 

Tennessee  Kappa  Founded, 
42. 

Tennessee    Lambda,    27,    34. 

Tennessee  Nu  Established, 
15,  38. 

Tennessee  Omega  Founded, 
46;  first  chapter  to  own 
house,  47 ;  carries  the 
mail,  47 ;  keystone  laid, 
59. 

Tennessee  Zeta  Founded. 
49. 

Texas   Psi,    45. 

Texas   Rho   the   First,    45. 

Texas  Rho  Organized,   54. 

Texas  Theta  Chartered,    22. 

Thomas,  Alexander  R., 
Province  president,  97. 

Thomas,  Charles  C.,  prov- 
ince president,  97. 

Thomas,    Grigsby,    27. 

Thomas,    William    H.,    58. 

Titles,  New  for  National 
Officers,  51. 

Topoi,  The,  What  It  Was,  5. 

Traveling  Secretary  Cre- 
ated, 96,  97. 

Treasurer,  The  First  Na- 
tional, 37. 

Turner,  J.  D.  Province 
president,  97,  98. 

Tuttle,  Arthur  J.,  61,  71, 
72,  78. 

Twining  Granville,  incorpo- 
rator  of  fraternity,  92. 

U 

Union   Army,    S.    A.    E.'s   in 

the,    29. 
Uzzell,      R.      S.,      Advocates 

Alumni  Ritual,  97. 


Vaile,  William  N.,  Province 

president,    93,    94. 
Vastine,  J.  M.,   72. 
Vaughn,  Vernon  H.,   23. 
Vawter,  William  A.,  II.,  96. 
Violet,  The  S.  A.  E.  Flower, 

66. 

Virgin,    Edward  H.,    71. 
Virginia     Kappa     Founded, 

18;  end  of,  19. 
Virginia   Omicron,   Affiliates 

of,  21;  revived,  30;  at  the 

helm,   32. 
Virginia  Pi,    45. 
Virginia     Sigma     Installed, 

35;       opposes       extension 

northward,       37;       grand 

chapter,   39. 
Virginia  Tau,   45. 
Virginia   Theta,    39,    89. 

W 

Wallace,  Arthur  T.,   95. 

Walker,  Paul  A.,  Province 
president,  93,  94. 

Walker,  William  B.,  and 
northern  extension,  46. 

War  Record  of  Georgia  Pi, 
20. 

War  Record  of  S.  A.  E.,  29. 

War,  S.  A.  E.  After  the 
Civil,  30. 

Warwick,   H.   S.,   94. 

Washington  Alpha  Found- 
ed, 92. 

Washington  Beta  Installed, 
98. 

Washington  City  Rho,  26; 
revived,  91. 

Washington  Convention  of 
1894,  75;  of  1902,  86. 

Waterhouse,  W.  E.,  Prov- 
ince president,  93,  94. 

Webb,  Frank  Bell,  33,  35. 

Webbe,   William  E.,   95. 

Webster,  Clyde  I.,  Province 
president,  93. 

Welch,  Charles  W.,  founder 
Kentucky  Kappa,  48. 

Wells,   Robert  K.,   8. 

Wenstrand,  David  W.,  Prov- 
ince president,  93. 


107 


Westbrooke,     Josephus     Gv, 

23. 
White,    Carl    F.,    reviser    of 

ritual,    94. 

White,  Walter  E.,  91. 
White,   William    B.,    59. 
Who's  Who  in  S.  A.  E.,   95. 
Wilson,      William      L,.,      21; 

honorary  E.   S.  A.,   71. 
Wisconsin    Alpha    Pounded, 

89. 
Wisconsin   Phi    Established, 


Woman,  A.  S.  A.  B.,   28. 
Wood,  Charles  P.,  65,  92,  93. 
Wooten,  William  E.,   56. 
Wynne,  Gustavus  A.,  8. 


Year    Book,    The    S.    A.    E., 

92. 

Yell,    The   S.   A.   E.,    67. 
Young,    J.    H.,    President   of 

the    Grand    Chapter,    49; 

editor  of  The  Record,   49, 

51,   53. 


108 


— 


BOOK  IS  DUE  ON  THE  LAST  DATE 
STAMPED  BELOW 


AN  INITIAL  FINE  OF  25  CENTS 

WILL  BE  ASSESSED  FOR  FAILURE  TO  RETURN 
THIS  BOOK  ON  THE  DATE  DUE.  THE  PENALTY 
WILL  INCREASE  TO  SO  CENTS  ON  THE  FOURTH 
DAY  AND  TO  $I.OO  ON  THE  SEVENTH  DAY 
OVERDUE. 


^ 


AUQ  11  1942 


a*'96 


(JrJtr  LI  \    I    •"*- 

01  /  42. 


U.  C.  BERKELEY  LIBRARIES 


359953 


UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA  LIBRARY 


